Cases of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a condition linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity, have risen five-fold in the past 10 years, a new study has revealed.
MASLD, previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, occurs when fat builds up in the liver. Researchers said that despite a "growing recognition" of the chronic condition, a large "diagnostic gap persists".
People who are overweight, not active, have type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or are over 50 years old are more likely to develop MASLD. Symptoms include feeling very tired or generally unwell, as well as pain in the abdomen.
Study of 12 million GP records
The study, by researchers at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Glasgow, looked at GP records from almost 12 million people in the UK between 2003 and 2022. The researchers found that recorded diagnoses of MASLD were 0.02% of adults in 2003, the equivalent of 1,300 people, but this jumped to 0.5% in 2012, around 60,000 people.
These figures rose to 2.4% in 2022, or 283,762 people. New diagnoses of the condition doubled from 2012 to 2022, and those diagnosed with MASLD were three times as likely to have type 2 diabetes.
Ethnic disparities and diagnostic gap
Researchers also found that people of south Asian ethnicity were "overrepresented" in MASLD diagnoses. Despite this, they were least likely to have a score used to estimate liver scarring despite higher levels of type 2 diabetes.
The researchers said that "more progress is needed to reach public health goals in this disease". They added: "Equally urgent is the need for additional research to identify and mitigate any risks of compounding health disparities among different ethnic groups especially in the era of medicines with specific indications in this space."
An "opportunity to detect advanced fibrosis" would be through a blood test that enables doctors to estimate liver scarring, according to the team behind the study. The study also found there was a "substantial diagnostic gap" in the UK, based on estimated cases of MASLD in Europe.
Researchers said: "The current data demonstrate that while UK prevalence has risen substantially to 2.42%, the diagnostic gap remains large compared to expected rates."
They suggest that, to close the gap, "at-risk groups such as those living with type 2 diabetes and obesity should be identified and case-finding actively pursued".
It is estimated that almost six million people in the UK are living with diabetes, almost 1.3 million of which may be living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. The latest NHS data also shows that in 2024, 30% of adults aged 16 and over were obese.
