Estimated Burden of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in US Adults, 2020 to 2050

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39821400/ Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the most common cause of chronic liver disease, could affect 41.4 percent of U.S. adults by 2050, up from 33.7 percent in 2020, according to an AHRQ-supported study in JAMA Network Open. To project the rates of MASLD through 2050, researchers used national health data and a long-term health simulation model of nearly 3 million individuals, incorporating factors like age, sex, obesity, and diabetes. Their projections indicate that nearly 122 million people could be affected by this serious liver condition, which can lead to fibrosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplant, or death. According to the authors, these findings should inform health systems’ decisions and planning to prevent and treat liver disease in the coming years.