Dr. Elizabeth Squirell · Gastroenterologist · Kingston Health Sciences Centre
Fatty liver disease (MASLD)
What fatty liver disease is, why liver scarring matters, how doctors check for it, and the steps that help most.
Key points
- Fatty liver is common. What matters most is whether your liver has scarring (fibrosis). A blood test score called FIB-4, and sometimes a FibroScan, can check for it.
- If you are above a healthy weight, losing 5% of your weight lowers liver fat. Losing 7 to 10% helps inflammation, and 10% or more can help scarring.
- Eat a Mediterranean-style diet. Cut back on sugary drinks and highly processed foods.
- Aim for 150 minutes of activity a week, such as brisk walking. It helps your liver even if your weight doesn't change.
- Less alcohol is better. If you have liver scarring, don't drink at all.
- Look after your heart: blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and not smoking. Heart disease is a bigger risk than liver disease for most people with MASLD.
- If you have type 2 diabetes, ask for a liver scarring check (FIB-4) every 1 to 2 years.
- Ask before taking supplements or herbal products for your liver. Statins are safe with fatty liver.
Go to emergency or call 911 if you have
- You vomit blood or something that looks like coffee grounds
- Your stool (poop) is black and sticky like tar
- Your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow
- Your belly swells quickly, or you become very confused or sleepy