Percentage Of People With Metabolically Related Fatty Liver Disease Is Growing, Says Study

New Delhi: The percentage of adults with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), the major global cause of liver disease, is growing. Mexican Americans consistently had the highest percentage of MAFLD, especially in 2018, although the prevalence of increase was higher among Whites, according to a study presented at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago,

MAFLD, previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is fast becoming the most common indication for liver transplantation. It is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and a common type of liver cancer. If untreated, MAFLD can lead to liver cancer and liver failure.

“MAFLD affects Hispanics at a higher prevalence relative to Blacks and Whites. This racial/ethnic disparity is a public health concern,” researcher Theodore C. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science in Los Angeles, Calif, was quoted as saying, adding, “Overall, the increase in MAFLD is concerning, as this condition can lead to liver failure and cardiovascular diseases and has an important health disparity.”

The researchers analysed data for 32,726 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1988 to 2018. “We found that overall, both MAFLD and obesity increased with time, with the increase in MAFLD greater than the increase in obesity,” Friedman said.