Approximately one in five people in Sweden and one in four globally are estimated to have metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), primarily caused by obesity and characterized by fat accumulation in the liver.

Fatty liver disease arises mainly from overweight or obesity, leading to excessive fat accumulation in the liver, which can result in significant liver damage and cancer.

A comprehensive study from Karolinska Institutet analyzed data from over 13,000 MASLD patients diagnosed between 2002 and 2020, comparing their mortality rates to those of the general population.

The findings reveal that individuals with fatty liver disease have a mortality rate nearly double that of the general population.

The most common causes of death among MASLD patients were cardiovascular disease and non-liver cancers, with mortality rates elevated by 54% and 47%, respectively.

Patients with MASLD experienced a 27-fold increased risk of death from liver disease and a 35-fold higher risk of dying from liver cancer.

Additional risks included dying from infections, gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory diseases, and endocrine diseases, although mental illness was not found to be a significant risk factor.

Axel Wester, a researcher at Karolinska Institutet, notes that many individuals are unaware they have fatty liver disease due to a lack of early symptoms.

Hannes Hagström, another lead researcher, emphasizes the need for a holistic treatment approach for fatty liver disease, advocating for early intervention across various medical specialties.

The study was led by Hannes Hagström and Axel Wester, with Gabriel Issa as the first author.

The research was funded by multiple organizations, including the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Cancer Society, and involved researchers with ties to pharmaceutical companies.

The research, published in the Journal of Hepatology, found increased risks of death from liver diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases among patients with MASLD.