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Steatotic liver disease
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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, shortened to NAFLD and now also called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, means too much fat builds up inside the liver, and that buildup does not come from drinking too much alcohol.
It has two forms, and the difference matters. In one, nonalcoholic fatty liver, there is fat but little or no inflammation or damage to the organ. In the other, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH, there is liver inflammation and damage along with the fat. That inflammation and damage can lead to fibrosis, which is scarring inside the liver, and steatohepatitis can end in cirrhosis: a liver that is scarred and permanently damaged.
In brief
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD, also called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease or MASLD, is a buildup of extra fat in the liver that does not come from heavy drinking.
It has two forms: nonalcoholic fatty liver, with fat but little or no inflammation or damage, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, with liver inflammation and damage on top of the fat.
That inflammation and damage can cause fibrosis, or scarring, and lead to cirrhosis.
Sources (1)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesDefinition & Facts of NAFLD & NASH
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated