Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects of Precision Medicine

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously termed nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), has emerged as one of the most prevalent chronic liver diseases globally, affecting nearly 30% of the adult population, with rising incidence rates across all age groups, including younger individuals. This disease is closely linked to the increasing burden of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, reflecting a global shift towards sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy dietary habits. The renaming of NAFLD to MASLD underscores its strong association with systemic metabolic dysfunction, which drives disease progression and highlights its multifaceted nature. Importantly, MASLD is not only a leading cause of end-stage liver complications, such as liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but also contributes to significant extrahepatic burdens, including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes-related complications.