Millions in west do not know they have aggressive fatty liver disease, study says

Non-invasive methods, such as blood tests, ultrasound and MRI scans can be used to diagnose MASH. Photograph: selimaksan/Getty Images/iStockphoto

More than 15 million people in the US, UK, Germany and France do not know they have the most aggressive form of fatty liver disease, according to research.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) – the formal name for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease – occurs in people who drink no or minimal amounts of alcohol whose liver contains more than 5% fat.