Fatty liver disease: Mayo Clinic study identifies five distinct subtypes
Metabolic fatty liver disease may not be one condition but five. Some forms are tied to obesity and diabetes, others to inherited genetic differences, researchers say.
Symbolic image · Photo: NIAID / Ryan Kissinger / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)
Researchers at Mayo Clinic, working with Virginia Tech, have divided metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) into five subtypes. The analysis covered data from more than 4,600 patients diagnosed with MASLD and was published in the journal Nature Communications. According to the authors, the condition affects nearly 30% of adults worldwide.
According to the study, some subtypes are closely linked to obesity and diabetes, while others are driven mainly by inherited genetic differences. The genetic forms are more likely to progress to advanced liver damage, even in people without typical metabolic risk factors. The subtypes were also associated with depression, sleep apnoea and migraine; the authors stress that this does not show a causal link.
“Once you separate these subtypes, you can start to match treatments to the biology that's actually driving the disease,” said co-senior author Shulan Tian of Mayo Clinic. The data come from the clinic's Tapestry Study, which holds genetic data on more than 100,000 participants. The study offers no individual advice; questions about personal health should be discussed with a doctor.
This article is for information only and is not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. Figures as of the date stated.