Road to Diagnosis: MASH Patient Stories

You might not think much about what makes a liver healthy or unhealthy. And when your liver starts to become unhealthy, you may not notice any symptoms right away.

A healthy liver contains only a small amount of fat. But when too much fat builds up in the liver over time, it can lead to a condition called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, better known as MASH. This condition is most common in people with metabolic conditions like obesity, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.

MASH can become quite severe. Excess fat in the liver can trigger inflammation, damaging liver cells or causing them to die. If this inflammation isn’t controlled, it can lead to scarring—known as fibrosis—or more advanced conditions like cirrhosis and liver failure.

Because symptoms of MASH—such as fatigue and weakness—are vague and nonspecific, many people don’t realize they have it until significant liver damage has already occurred. Diagnosing MASH typically requires blood tests, imaging tests like MRIs or FibroScan ultrasounds, or even a liver biopsy.

Fortunately, treatments are improving. Until recently, managing MASH relied mainly on lifestyle changes like diet and weight loss. But in 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug specifically for treating MASH: Rezdiffra (resmetirom), for patients with moderate to advanced liver scarring.

Studies also suggest that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, may help reduce liver inflammation and fat accumulation in MASH patients.

Actually receiving these treatments starts with being able to identify the condition in the first place. That’s why we’re sharing the diagnostic journeys of different MASH patients. They’ve detailed their roads to diagnosis to help people who may be experiencing the same thing.

Despite my father previously being diagnosed with liver cirrhosis (permanent damage and advanced scarring of the liver) and receiving a liver transplant in 2013, my own liver issues went undiagnosed for years. My doctors ignored high liver enzyme counts in my bloodwork, attributing it to extra weight and possible thyroid issues.

By the time my liver condition was finally diagnosed, it had developed into MASH.

I was first told that I was at higher risk for fatty liver disease in 2005. I had never heard the term before. My primary care provider didn’t seem too concerned about excess fat building up in my liver, and I felt fine. So, for the next nine years, I continued my life as normal. 

Then, in 2014, I was diagnosed with MASH. Eventually, my MASH led to liver cancer, and I needed a liver transplant.