The Rate of Undetected MASLD in the US is a Sobering Statistic, says Expert Hepatologist Naim Alkhouri, MD

On an average day an estimated 1 in 3 adults seated in a US primary care clinic waiting room may have metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease, or MASLD, Naim Alkhouri, MD, said in a recent conversation with Patient Care.® If there are individuals in that group with type 2 diabetes, they represent a population in which 55% to 60% likely has MASLD. For the US population with severe obesity, the estimated percentage with MASLD is as high as 85% to 90%. Alkhouri, who is chief medical officer, chief of transplant hepatology, and director of the fatty liver program at Arizona Liver Health, in Phoenix, also emphasized that when detected early, before it can progress to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and advanced fibrosis, MASLD is a manageable disease. He explains more in the video above. (Follow Dr Alkhouri on X @AlkhouriNaim)

For additional details on the study mentioned during this interview, see: Harrison SA, Gawrieh S, Roberts K, et al. Prospective evaluation of the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis in a large middle-aged US cohort. J Hepatol. 2021 Aug;75(2):284-291.

Other videos in this series with Dr Alkhouri:

• A MASLD Mantra to Practice By: Screen, Stage, Treat

• The Pipeline for New MASLD & MASH Treatments is Promising, says Naim Alkhouri, MD

• The FDA Approval of Resmetirom for MASH Changes Everything—for Patients and their Physicians

• Early Detection of MASLD in Primary Care: The Essentials with Naim Alkhouri, MD