Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), previously known as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), refers to a spectrum of liver conditions characterised by the accumulation of fat in liver cells, which is not primarily due to alcohol consumption.

The term MASLD reflects that metabolic dysfunction - how your body processes and stores energy - is the primary driver of the disease. MASLD is closely linked to various metabolic dysfunctions, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.

According to a new Lancet global study,  published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, nearly 2 billion people worldwide could be living with metabolic liver disease by 2050.

The study highlights that the number of people affected has already surged dramatically over the past three decades, driven largely by rising obesity rates, sedentary lifestyles, and increasing cases of type 2 diabetes.

Today, an estimated 1.3 billion people are living with the disease, a figure projected to grow significantly in the coming decades.Obesity is the most significant risk factor for MASLD. Excess body fat, particularly abdominal fat, leads to fatty infiltration of the liver.

The mechanisms include insulin resistance that results in increased lipolysis and hepatic lipid accumulation.Insulin resistance is considered the hallmark of MASLD.

When cells stop responding effectively to insulin, the body compensates by producing more of the hormone.

This high level of insulin actually promotes the delivery of fatty acids to the liver and stimulates the process where the liver creates new fat from sugar, leading to significant fat accumulation in liver cells.

Source:Ndtv