Why liver health matters      |      Key terms & concepts     |      Breaking down the science

Explore curated tools designed to make liver disease easier to understand—from the science and lived experiences to the systems shaping care and policy. This section brings together plain-language explainers, research breakdowns, and definitions of key terms to help you connect the dots between liver health and the bigger picture.

Why liver health matters

A look at liver disease within the global health landscape

The liver is one of the most critical and incredible organs in the human body, located in the upper right part of the abdomen. It acts like the body’s chemical factory, helping to regulate the levels of nutrients we obtain from our food. It also helps filter toxins. But in some situations–like having obesity, insulin resistance, or regularly eating too much sugar or drinking too much alcohol–fat can start accumulating in the liver and begin to affect proper liver functioning.

When more than 5% of the liver’s cells (hepatocytes) have fat in them, it’s considered a steatotic liver—what used to be called “fatty liver.” Today, this condition is known as Steatotic Liver Disease, or SLD.

SLD is a spectrum of a disease driven by two leading risk factors: alcohol consumption and metabolic conditions (such as obesity, type 2 diabetes) that disrupt the body’s ability to turn food into energy. The amount of each risk factor and the combination between them determines the exact disease’s definition:

  • Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), driven mainly by metabolic factors
  • Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), driven by high alcohol consumption, and
  • Metabolic and alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD), driven by the combination of both risk factors.

The liver is not meant to store fat. As fat accumulates, it triggers an inflammatory response. This can harm liver cells. Over time, if there’s no treatment, SLD might worsen and reach an inflammatory phase of the disease called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). This form is more severe and could cause liver scarring (fibrosis), cirrhosis (severe liver damage), or even liver cancer. It’s also a risk factor for heart disease.

The good news is that making lifestyle changes—such as following Mediterranean or plant-based dietary patterns, staying active, losing weight if needed, and avoiding alcohol—can not only stop liver disease from getting worse but also help improve liver health.

Key terms & concepts

Definitions, stories, and calls to action

Disparities in Liver Health

Differences in the prevalence and access to treatment and care and outcomes of liver diseases, often driven by socio-economic, racial, or geographic inequities.

Maria, a 53-year-old single mother in a rural area, was diagnosed late with MASLD because she couldn’t easily access healthcare services in her region. By the time she saw a hepatologist, her condition had progressed to cirrhosis. She often wonders how her life might have been different if she’d had access to routine liver screenings earlier.

Policy-makers should expand telemedicine and incentivise metabolic community health services in underserved areas. Medical societies should advocate for liver screening programmes in primary care settings and the community.

Social Determinants of Liver Health (SDoH)

Conditions like income, education, housing, food access, and social support that shape liver disease risks and outcomes.

Marcus, a 39-year-old high-tech worker, working long hours and living with hepatitis B, eats little fresh food. Instead, his diet consists mainly of processed meals high in sugar and fat, contributing to his MASLD diagnosis.

Create culturally sensitive, workplace and community-based liver health programs that address food access and health literacy for all.

Best Buys for Liver Health

Proven, cost-effective interventions for liver disease, such as routine screening for liver fibrosis in people living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) or obesity.

Sofia, a 49-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes, was offered a simple blood-based liver fibrosis test during her routine diabetes check-up. The test identified early signs of liver damage, even though she had no symptoms. With tailored counselling and lifestyle support, she changed her diet, lost some weight, and avoided disease progression. Her care team credits the screening for catching MASLD before it turned into something more serious.

National health systems should integrate liver fibrosis screening into type 2 diabetes and obesity clinical care guidelines. Payers and providers must invest in scalable tools like non-invasive tests and digital risk assessments to identify liver disease early and act decisively.

Migrant Health and Liver Disease

Migrant populations often face challenges that non-migrant populations do not, such as liver disease risk factors and barriers to liver care and treatment that result in higher burdens of liver disease.

Baye, a 45-year-old refugee, acquired hepatitis B from his mother during birth and did not receive appropriate preventive measures like the HBV birth dose vaccine to potentially stop onward transmission. He has been living with HBV since he was born but did not know it. He recently accessed care through a community clinic, but cirrhosis due to HBV and MASH has limited his options. Early intervention could have saved his liver and improved his quality of life.

Provide targeted outreach programmes to ensure migrants and refugees are screened and vaccinated for hepatitis B and receive education about the importance of reducing metabolic risk for developing steatotic liver disease and limiting alcohol consumption.

Preventive Hepatology

A proactive approach to liver disease that emphasises early detection, lifestyle interventions, vaccination, and policies that prevent disease incidence and progression.

Leah, a 35-year-old office worker discovered she had MASLD during a routine check-up. With dietary changes and physical activity, she reversed her condition and avoided more serious liver complications.

Healthcare professionals should incorporate routine MASLD screenings into annual health checks and assess alcohol and ultra-processed consumption of their patients, while policy-makers invest in public awareness campaigns on liver health.

Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) in Liver Health

Self-reported measures that capture patients’ perspectives on the impact of liver disease on their daily lives, well-being, and treatment satisfaction that can help guide clinical decision making.

James, a 56-year-old living with MASLD, felt dismissed by his care team when he reported severe fatigue and emotional distress. Once his physician implemented a PRO questionnaire, James felt heard, and his treatment plan was adjusted to address his holistic needs.

Incorporate PRO tools in clinical settings to ensure patient voices guide treatment decisions and improve outcomes.

MASLD as a Public Health Priority

The recognition of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease as a leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality worldwide.

Priya, a 35-year-old office worker, was shocked when diagnosed with MASLD despite not feeling sick. Her physician explained that MASLD is common and preventable but often undiagnosed. With lifestyle changes enabled by nearby fresh food markets, Priya now advocates for better awareness and food systems.

Policymakers should integrate SLD prevention into national health campaigns, for example, promote alcohol zero target, and physicians should screen at-risk patients systematically, including alcohol consumption evaluation.

Integrated Care Models for Liver Health

Coordinated healthcare approaches that connect hepatology with primary care, endocrinology/diabetology, nutrition, and mental health to improve liver disease management and outcomes.

Alan, a 62-year-old with diabetes, hypertension, and MASLD, was overwhelmed managing multiple specialists. A multidisciplinary care team, that also considers the patient’s needs and preference, simplified his care, addressing his liver disease while managing his other conditions.

Develop and fund integrated care models for SLD and metabolic comorbidities to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

Stigma and Liver Disease

The negative social attitudes and discrimination faced by individuals with liver conditions, particularly those linked to alcohol use, viral hepatitis, or obesity, which can impact healthcare access and mental well-being.

John, a 50-year-old construction worker, hid his MASLD diagnosis due to the stigma of “lifestyle diseases.” He delayed seeking care, which worsened his condition. A supportive group helped him accept his diagnosis and follow a treatment plan.

Launch campaigns that normalize liver disease as a medical condition rather than a moral failing to encourage earlier care-seeking.

Social Nutrition

The intersection of dietary habits, food environments, and social policies that emphasize access to affordable, healthy foods and reduce dietary risks for liver disease.

Asha, a 44-year-old single mother, struggled to provide healthy meals for her family on a limited budget. After joining a social nutrition program at her local clinic, she learned how to prepare liver-friendly meals on a budget.

Policymakers should integrate social nutrition programs into primary care and community health initiatives.

Digital Health Tools

Technology-driven solutions, such as telemedicine, mobile apps, and AI-based diagnostics, that enhance liver disease prevention, monitoring, and patient engagement.

Ben, a 47-year-old truck driver, used a mobile app to track his liver function and diet. The app reminded him to get regular check-ups and helped him stick to his treatment plan.

Fund the development and dissemination of digital tools that support liver health monitoring and patient education.

Global Liver Health Equity

The pursuit of fair and just access to liver disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment worldwide, addressing disparities between high- and low-income settings.

Fatima, a 62-year-old grandmother in a low-income country, had no access to hepatitis B vaccination as a child. Today, her grandchildren benefit from WHO vaccination programs, breaking the cycle of liver disease in her family.

Scale up international initiatives to ensure equitable access to liver health interventions, including vaccinations and screenings.

Environmental Exposures and Liver Disease

The impact of pollutants, toxins, and occupational hazards on liver function, including the role of air pollution, industrial chemicals, and endocrine disruptors in liver disease development.

Ravi, a 50-year-old factory worker, was exposed to industrial chemicals that contributed to liver damage. Advocacy by his local union led to workplace safety reforms, improving conditions for future workers.

Enforce stronger regulations on environmental toxins and workplace safety to protect liver health.

Liver Cancer Prevention

Strategies to reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), including hepatitis B vaccination, hepatitis C treatment, alcohol reduction, obesity prevention, and early screening for high-risk individuals.

Olivia, a 58-year-old with advanced MASLD, called MASH, and liver cirrhosis, joined a preventive screening program that detected liver abnormalities early. She received treatment before developing liver cancer.

Policymakers must fund early detection programs and mandate MASLD/MASH screening for high-risk populations.

Commercial Determinants of Liver Health

The role of industries (e.g., ultra-processed foods, alcohol, sugar, tobacco) in shaping liver disease risk through marketing, pricing, and policy influence.

Mariana, a 16-year-old tennis player, sees her favorite actor drinking beer on TikTok. Without thinking much of it, she starts drinking too, first to celebrate matches, then with increasing frequency — eventually damaging her liver.

Policymakers should introduce policies that promote the purchase and consumption of healthy foods and limit the purchase and consumption of ultra-processed foods, alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages, and tobacco, especially for vulnerable population such as children and adolescents.

Breaking down the science

Easy-to-follow summaries of key research