NASH MASH NAFLD liver disease
The liver is a vital organ located in the abdomen. It's like a busy factory, working hard to keep our bodies healthy. One of its main jobs is to clean our blood by filtering out harmful substances. It also helps us digest food by producing bile, a fluid that breaks down fats. Additionally, the liver stores important nutrients like vitamins and sugars for later use
Everything you eat, drink, or breathe could potentially have toxins in it, and your liver protects you from these.
So when your liver has problems, your overall health can be heavily impacted. One emerging liver disease is Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), also known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). [1] These changing names, make it harder to search for information, so you need to keep them in mind, when doing a literature search.
As MASLD progresses it can ravage the body. It can cause cardiovascular issues, kidney disease, hormonal irregularities, and an increased risk of developing cancers. This exact cause is unknown, but MASLD affects up to 25% of people worldwide according to some sources, ]3] and it’s more common in people of Hispanic descent, and middle age. Weight and diabetes and genetics are factors. And there are definite measurable stages to its progression.[1]
The four stages and symptoms of fatty liver
The progression of fatty liver disease generally can be divided into four stages:
Stage 1. In simple fatty liver, or steatosis abnormal fat deposits appear in the liver. Can only be detected via medical tests, most people in this stage don’t know they have fatty liver disease.
Stage 2. Steatohepatitis, is marked by inflammation that damages the liver.
Stage 3. Fibrosis, is characterized by liver scar tissue beginning to form. This scarring can reduce the organ’s ability to function.
Stave 4. Cirrhosis, the fourth and final stage, shows widespread and permanent scarring in the liver. This substantially impairs liver function. This stage can lead to liver failure and liver cancer.
Prevention
Some causes are genetic, so prevention is harder, and the disease can have subtle symptoms at first, so early detection may not occur. However early detection and treatment, as with many other diseases, helps a great deal.
There are related diseases such as the alcohol-caused form of fatty liver disease. I only mention this one, because prevention can be as simple as stopping the alcohol abuse of your liver. It is also worth mentioning because people often confuse the alcohol-caused version of fatty liver disease with MASH, formerly called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Many of the downstream effects, and treatments can apply to both. So if you have MASH, clinical trials or new drugs for the alcohol-caused type of fatty liver disease, could also be relevant to you.
Detection
If you or your doctor suspects MASLD, a routing blood panel can rule it out, or suggest more testing. These are not expensive tests. If high levels of certain liver enzymes are found, that is a bad sign, but a good thing for you to know about. Or if your liver appears enlarged on an imaging test. These signs may warrant further testing. There are CT scan or MRI scans, to get a more detail image of the liver.
Treatments
In the early stages, this disease is more treatable, but in later stages, it has been commonly accepted that only a liver transplant can have a big impact on it.
Early ways to help manage or reverse MASLD include:
healthy diet
avoid smoking and liver-damaging drugs
weight loss
managing stress
Take medications like Rezdiffra recommended by your doctor
Late Stages
In later stages, there may be liver cirrhosis, which is commonly viewed as irreversible although there are clinical trials to test if stem cells can help with that. For example, this clinical trial is testing if stem cells can improve liver function safely for cirrhotic patients. [2] The standard for this late stage of liver cirrhosis is a liver transplant, although sadly there are not enough livers available. [4]
So if you have symptoms, you may want to get that blood panel. Early detection is useful, as in many other diseases.
References
[1] https://liverdiseasenews.com/masld-mash-effects/
[2] https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01877759?cond=Liver%20Cirrhosis&term=stem%20cells&rank=1
[3] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22437-non-alcoholic-fatty-liver-disease
[4] Read more on MASH progression
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Nor do I play one on TV. The information on this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical advice and treatment. The author of this blog is not a licensed medical professional and does not claim to be an expert in any field of medicine.