Metabolic Disorders and Liver Health
Summary
Metabolic disorders such as obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus profoundly affect liver function, giving rise to a spectrum of conditions collectively known as metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). At the mild end of this spectrum lies simple steatosis, characterised by excessive triglyceride accumulation within hepatocytes. Progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) involves inflammation, hepatocellular injury and varying degrees of fibrosis, which may advance to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Key drivers include dysregulated lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, chronic low-grade inflammation and genetic susceptibility. Worldwide prevalence of MASLD now exceeds 25 per cent of the adult population, imposing a major burden on healthcare systems. Early detection relies on clinical indices, imaging modalities and emerging non-invasive biomarkers. Lifestyle modification remains the cornerstone of management, while novel therapeutic avenues are under exploration, ranging from pharmacological modulation of metabolic pathways to immunomodulation and precision medicine grounded in genomic profiling.
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Metabolic Disorders and Liver Health publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in metabolic disorders and liver health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): A spectrum of liver disorders marked by fat accumulation in hepatocytes, not attributable to significant alcohol intake.
Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD): An umbrella term for fatty liver conditions driven principally by metabolic risk factors.
Fatty Liver Index (FLI): A calculated score using body mass index, waist circumference, triglycerides and γ-glutamyl transferase to estimate hepatic fat content.
Genome-wide association study (GWAS): A comprehensive approach to identify common genetic variants across the genome that are associated with a particular trait or disease.
Autoantibody: An antibody directed against an individual’s own proteins, potentially contributing to inflammation and tissue injury.
References
- Antibody against apolipoprotein-A1, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular risk: a translational study. Journal of Translational Medicine (2023).
- Genome-wide association study of the fatty liver index in the Taiwanese population reveals shared and population-specific genetic risk factors across ethnicities. Cell & Bioscience (2025).
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