A Karolinska Institutet study finds that individuals with fatty liver disease face nearly double the mortality risk—extending far beyond liver damage to cancer, heart disease, and more.
About 20% of people in Sweden and 25% worldwide may have fatty liver disease, known as MASLD. This condition is linked to being overweight or obese and results in too much fat building up in the liver, which can eventually cause severe damage or even liver cancer.
A study by Karolinska Institutet reveals that individuals with fatty liver disease face nearly double the mortality rate compared to the general population. They are at greater risk of dying not only from liver-related conditions but also from widespread illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Axel Wester, assistant professor at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet and physician at Karolinska University Hospital, said, “Many people are not aware that they have fatty liver disease because it rarely causes any symptoms in the earlier stages. Our study shows that people diagnosed with MASLD have an increased risk of dying from many different diseases, not just liver disease.”
Between 2002 and 2020, researchers in Sweden studied over 13,000 patients with MASLD. They discovered that the mortality rate for these individuals was nearly double that of the general population.
The risk of death was higher across almost all causes, with especially severe risks for liver-related conditions — 27 times higher mortality for liver disease and 35 times higher mortality for liver cancer. Despite these heightened risks, the leading causes of death among MASLD patients were cardiovascular disease and non-liver cancers, with mortality rates of 54% and 47% higher, respectively.
Revolutionary method to fight fatty liver
Individuals with MASLD also face higher risks of death from infections, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and endocrine diseases, as well as external causes, though not from mental illness.
Hannes Hagström from Karolinska Institutet emphasizes the need for a comprehensive treatment approach. He highlights the importance of involving multiple medical specialties and early interventions to improve outcomes for MASLD patients rather than focusing solely on liver health.
Journal Reference
- Gabriel Issa, Ying Shang et al. Cause-specific mortality in 13,099 patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in Sweden. Journal of Hepatology. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2025.03.001
Source: Tech Explorist
