Roughly 1 in 4 Fatty Liver Cirrhosis Cases Began…

Serious liver scarring from fatty liver disease is not only a problem of later life. A new UC San Diego-led study found that about one in four cases of cirrhosis caused by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, occurred before age 50.

The research, published online Sept. 16 in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology , found that people who develop cirrhosis before 50 have a distinct risk profile shaped by inherited genetic factors and type 2 diabetes.

The findings matter for adults in their 30s and 40s. Many people with fatty liver feel fine for years, and the study suggests that some tools doctors use to decide who needs further testing may overlook younger patients who already have advanced disease.