Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • UPMC Digestive Health Care >
  • ... >
  • Services We Offer >
  • Center for Liver Care >
  • Conditions We Treat >
  • Chronic Liver Conditions >
  • Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatosis Liver Disease
UPMC Digestive Health Care
About Us
Services We Offer
Center for Liver Care
Conditions We Treat
Autoimmune Liver Diseases
Chronic Liver Conditions
Alcoholic Liver Disease
Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
Viral Hepatitis
Cirrhosis and Complications
Genetic Liver Diseases
Hepatitis C
Liver Cancer
What to Expect
Specialty Services
UPMC Liver Steatosis and Metabolic Wellness Program
Our Experts
Our Locations
Contact Us
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
Center for Intestinal Health and Nutrition Support
UPMC Center for Women's GI Health
Gastroenterology Associates–UPMC
Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention & Treatment Center
Neurogastroenterology and Motility Center
Pancreas Center of Excellence
Conditions We Treat
Research Programs
Contact Us
Patient Information
Telemedicine
Our Locations
UPMC Digestive Health Care
About Us
Services We Offer
Center for Liver Care
Conditions We Treat
Autoimmune Liver Diseases
Chronic Liver Conditions
Alcoholic Liver Disease
Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
Viral Hepatitis
Cirrhosis and Complications
Genetic Liver Diseases
Hepatitis C
Liver Cancer
What to Expect
Specialty Services
UPMC Liver Steatosis and Metabolic Wellness Program
Our Experts
Our Locations
Contact Us
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
Center for Intestinal Health and Nutrition Support
UPMC Center for Women's GI Health
Gastroenterology Associates–UPMC
Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention & Treatment Center
Neurogastroenterology and Motility Center
Pancreas Center of Excellence
Conditions We Treat
Research Programs
Contact Us
Patient Information
Telemedicine
Our Locations

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease

Contact the UPMC Center for Liver Care

To make an appointment with a UPMC liver care expert, call 412-647-1170 or fill out our contact form.


  • Overview
  • Symptoms and Diagnosis
  • Treatment

What Is Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)?

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) – formally nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) – is a condition in which too much fat collects within the liver in someone who doesn’t drink large amounts of alcohol.

MASLD affects about 30% of people living in the U.S.

Types of MASLD

There are two types of MASLD: steatotic liver disease and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

While people will have fat in the liver with both types, they differ in some major ways.

  • Steatotic liver disease. People with this type have little or no swelling of the liver and no liver cell damage. MASLD liver disease typically doesn't cause any permanent liver damage.
  • MASH. By contrast, people with MASH will have swelling of the liver and liver cell damage. MASH can cause fibrosis (or scarring) of the liver and may lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Causes of MASLD

Experts aren't quite sure what causes MASLD. Research suggests that people are more likely to develop MASLD if they also have other health conditions.

The most common ones include:

  • Type-2 diabetes.
  • Obesity, especially with a large waist size.
  • Insulin resistance or prediabetes.
  • Metabolic syndrome.
  • High cholesterol (mainly LDL or "bad" cholesterol) or triglyceride levels.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Sleep apnea.
  • Polycystic ovarian disease.

Research suggests that certain genes or having your gallbladder removed may also make you more likely to get MASLD.

Research also links some drugs — including steroids and synthetic estrogen -- to an increased risk of MASLD.

MASLD risk factors and complications

Certain groups of people are more at risk of developing MASLD.

Some studies have shown that MASLD:

  • Becomes more common in people over 50.
  • Is more common in men.
  • Affects people with high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol.
  • Occurs more often among people with a Hispanic ethnic background.
  • Is higher among those who drink soft drinks with high-fructose corn syrup.

If left untreated, MASLD may lead to swelling and scarring (cirrhosis) in the liver. Over time, it may even lead to liver cancer or liver failure.

How to prevent MASLD

MASLD is most commonly linked to health conditions related to diet and lifestyle.

To reduce your risk of MASLD, you can make choices that reduce your chances of developing those health conditions.

  • Maintain a healthy body weight. (A BMI of 25 or more is overweight, while a BMI of 30 or more is obese.)
  • Eat more whole, unprocessed foods — such as whole grains, beans, fruits, and veggies — and strictly limit processed and fatty foods.
  • Limit daily sugar intake, following guidelines from the American Heart Association. Women should eat no more than 100 calories (25 grams or 6 teaspoons) from added sugar daily. Men should limit added sugars to 150 calories (36 grams or 9 teaspoons) daily.
  • Get 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily. (A brisk walk, swimming, or anything else that raises your heart rate will help.)

You should also reduce or eliminate alcohol, which can also cause fat to build up in the liver.

For more information on how to treat MASLD, visit our UPMC Liver Steatosis and Metabolic Wellness Program website.

Why Choose the UPMC Center for Liver Care for MASLD Care?

Our world-renowned liver care experts:

  • Treat the full range of liver conditions including MASLD and offer the latest, cutting-edge treatments.
  • Partner with you to provide lifestyle and diet changes, as well as counseling services with mental health experts.
  • Work closely with the UPMC Liver Cancer Center and the UPMC Liver Transplant Program. This allows us to provide you with complete and seamless care for any serious complications from MASLD.

MASLD Symptoms and Diagnosis

Most people with MASLD don't have symptoms in its early stages. Doctors usually discover it because of an abnormal liver function test or during testing for an unrelated health issue.

When MASLD symptoms do occur, they may include:

  • Fatigue and weakness.
  • Weight loss, loss of appetite, and nausea.
  • Stomach pain.
  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).
  • Itching.
  • Fluid retention or swelling of the legs and belly.
  • Mental confusion.

Diagnosing MASLD

If your doctor thinks you might have MASLD, they will order or perform one or more of these tests:

  • Blood tests.
  • Endoscopy (diagnostic and therapeutic).
  • Endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).
  • Esophageal variceal banding.
  • Liver biopsy.
  • Non-invasive liver imaging (Fibroscan).
  • Paracentesis.
  • Thoracentesis.
  • Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).

MASLD Treatment

For mild cases of MASLD, the main goal of treatment is to avoid serious problems by preventing the disease from getting worse. For more serious cases of MASLD, our goal is to restore function to the liver.

Lifestyle changes to treat mild MASLD

For mild cases of MASLD, the main treatment at UPMC focuses on addressing the risk factors, like making lifestyle changes.

Lifestyle changes that can help slow the progression of MASLD include:

  • Staying at a healthy weight.
  • Eating a healthy diet.
  • Exercising routinely.
  • Limiting alcohol intake.
  • Taking only medicines that you need and following the prescribed dosing.

We will work with you on a weight loss regimen and a set of goals to improve the health of your liver.

Treatment options for moderate MASLD

For moderate cases of MASLD, your doctor might:

  • Suggest a more rigorous diet or meal replacement plan.
  • Combine lifestyle changes with medications.
  • Regularly check the health of your liver to avoid progression of disease into advanced stages.

Treatment options for severe MASLD or NASH

For severe cases of MASLD or NASH, your doctor might:

  • Suggest bariatric surgery if you're obese with advanced MASLD and struggle with weight loss.
  • Talk to you about a liver transplant if liver scarring is extensive and extremely limits liver function.

To learn more about MASLD, or to make an appointment at the UPMC Center for Liver Care, call 412-647-1170.

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login