Quick Facts

• Global MASLD prevalence jumped from 25.3% to 38.2% between 1990 and 2019
• The FDA approved resmetirom as the first treatment for advanced liver disease in March 2024
• Healthcare costs exceed $100 billion annually in the United States alone

A metabolic liver disease affecting more than one-third of the global population has surged 50% over three decades. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) now affects 38.2% of people worldwide, up from 25.3% between 1990 and 2006.

The disease was previously known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease until medical societies renamed it in 2023. MASLD causes fat buildup in the liver and can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

In 2021, researchers documented 1.27 billion MASLD cases globally. The disease caused 138,300 deaths and 3.67 million disability-adjusted life years. North Africa and the Middle East show the highest prevalence rates.

First Treatment Approved

The FDA made history in March 2024 by approving resmetirom as the first treatment for advanced metabolic liver disease. The drug costs $47,400 annually and works alongside diet and exercise.

Clinical trials showed resmetirom resolved liver inflammation in 30% of patients taking the higher dose, compared to 10% in the placebo group. The drug improved liver scarring by at least one stage in 26% of patients versus 14% in the control group.

“Until now, liver disease has never had a treatment shown to reverse fibrosis, which is the damage from which all other issues stem,” said Dr. Mary Rinella, Director of Metabolic and Fatty Liver Disease at UChicago Medicine.

Rising Health Burden

MASLD patients face increased risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and kidney problems. Most patients die from heart-related causes rather than liver failure.

Among people with type 2 diabetes, 65% also have MASLD. This dual diagnosis creates compound health risks and drives up medical costs.

Healthcare expenses for MASLD patients exceed those of age-matched healthy individuals. In Italy alone, the disease accounts for nearly $8 billion in annual healthcare costs and 13,438 deaths yearly.

“NASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis is a serious and progressive liver disease that, until now, has not had an FDA-approved therapy,” said Bill Sibold, CEO of Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, which developed resmetirom.

The American Liver Foundation called the drug approval groundbreaking for millions of Americans living with progressive liver disease.

Read more: This Metabolic Disease Has Increased 143% Since 1990 & It’s Not Diabetes