Metabolic fatty liver disease: New non-invasive diagnostic tests emerge

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) can progress for years without symptoms, often remaining undetected even when blood tests appear normal. The condition occurs when liver cells accumulate lipids, frequently linked to obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. If left unmanaged, the disease can advance from simple fat accumulation to inflammation (MASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

Recent studies published in The Lancet and Nature Medicine, part of the international LITMUS program, highlight the development of non-invasive diagnostic tools to replace traditional liver biopsies. Analyzing data from nearly 2,000 patients across Europe and the United States, researchers tested blood markers and advanced imaging techniques.

Findings indicate that combining the SOMAScan proteomic panel with magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and FibroScan tests provides high precision for identifying advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. Other blood tests, such as Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) and ADAPT, also showed strong performance in detecting cirrhosis, though identifying high-risk MASH cases remains a clinical challenge.