MASLD projected to affect 1.8 billion people by 2050

A 2023 analysis by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) collaboration estimates that roughly 30 % of adults in industrialised nations already have metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the most common non‑alcoholic liver condition. The study projects that, driven by dietary shifts, reduced physical activity and rapid urbanisation, the number of people with MASLD could rise to about 1.8 billion worldwide by 2050, affecting both high‑income and developing countries. Researchers note the scale may be comparable to a pandemic. Parallel research highlights new diagnostic tools, such as a stool‑based biomarker (the protein Angptl4) linking gut microbiome imbalance to liver fat, and emerging drug approaches that could lower the four‑fold increased risk of fatal cardiovascular events observed in MASLD patients.

The findings underscore a looming public‑health challenge, calling for earlier screening, lifestyle interventions and potentially wider use of novel biomarkers to mitigate the disease’s growing burden.