Prevalence of Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD, MetALD, and ALD) in the United States: NHANES 2017-2020

Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024 Jun;22(6):1330-1332.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2023.11.003. Epub 2023 Nov 8.

Abstract

Following the Delphi consensus process, the term steatotic liver disease (SLD) was introduced to replace fatty liver disease, while the term metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) emerged as the successor to the term nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).1 This revised nomenclature aims to enhance precision and mitigate negative connotations and potential stigmatization, while refining comprehension and disease categorization. Concurrently, a novel category was introduced to capture individuals whose alcohol consumption exceeded the previously defined thresholds of NAFLD but remained unclassified within the existing system. This category, termed MetALD, now delineates a spectrum of conditions and is defined as a daily intake of 20 to 50 g of alcohol (or weekly 140-350 g) for females and 30 to 60 g daily for males (or weekly 210-420 g).1 Within the MetALD spectrum, some individuals might predominantly exhibit MASLD characteristics, whereas others might be more inclined toward alcoholic liver disease (ALD).1 In the present study, we used a US nationally representative data set to calculate the prevalence of SLD and its subcategories in the United States.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Fatty Liver / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / epidemiology
  • Nutrition Surveys
  • Prevalence
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Young Adult