Epidemiology of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD)

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) together represent the majority of individuals with steatotic liver disease (SLD). MASLD and ALD prevalence continues to rise globally, which is driven by several factors including an aging population, increasing prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity and diabetes mellitus, and the increasing trends in high-risk unhealthy alcohol use which surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, MASLD, as well as ALD-related cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, is also on the rise, becoming major etiologies contributing to end-stage liver disease among adults awaiting liver transplantation. Accurately understanding MASLD and ALD epidemiology is critical to guide healthcare resource planning and health policy. Accurate estimates of MASLD and ALD epidemiology are particularly important to understand in the context of recent updates in nomenclature terminology. This review provides an updated assessment of existing literature describing the epidemiology of MASLD and ALD.