Alarming Rise in Liver Disease Amid Global Fatty Liver Day 2025

As the global burden of metabolic disease continues to grow, the Global Liver Institute (GLI) marked Global Fatty Liver Day 2025 with an urgent call for action to address steatotic liver disease (SLD), now recognized as one of the most prevalent and underdiagnosed health threats of the 21st century according to a GLI news release.¹

Observed annually on the second Thursday in June, Global Fatty Liver Day aims to raise awareness of the escalating public health crisis posed by fatty liver disease and its links to broader metabolic dysfunction.

Fatty liver disease develops when excess fat accumulates in the liver, often without noticeable symptoms. | Image credit: Rasi – stock.adobe.com

Fatty liver disease—including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and metabolic dysfunction-associated alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD)—currently affects nearly 40% of the global population.² In the US alone, projections estimate that more than 122 million adults will be living with MASLD by 2050.³ Yet despite its prevalence, most people with the disease remain undiagnosed and untreated until advanced liver damage occurs.

“The liver is no longer the silent organ,” Larry R. Holden, president and CEO of GLI, said in a news release.¹ “Fatty liver disease is now one of the clearest and most urgent signs of global metabolic dysfunction. On Global Fatty Liver Day, we call on health care leaders, policymakers, and the public to recognize the liver’s central role in preventing not just liver disease—but cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases. Liver health must rise to the top of public health agendas globally.”

Fatty liver disease develops when excess fat accumulates in the liver, often without noticeable symptoms. If left untreated, it can lead to inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even death. In fact, over the past 2 decades, MASH alone has become one of the leading causes of liver transplantation and a partial driver of primary liver cancer in the US.⁴

A 2024 global analysis emphasized not only the rising prevalence of fatty liver disease but also its severe long-term consequences.⁵ Between 1990 and 2021, liver cancer cases worldwide more than doubled—rising by 114.3%—while liver cancer deaths increased by 102.5%. Hepatocellular carcinoma remains the most common form of liver cancer in adults and is often linked to hepatitis B and C, alcohol use, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Researchers identified NASH as a rapidly growing contributor to the global liver cancer burden, reinforcing the urgent need for early identification and intervention to prevent progression to life-threatening outcomes.

GLI’s 2025 awareness campaign emphasizes that fatty liver disease is deeply intertwined with other metabolic conditions, noting:¹

• Up to 75% of individuals with type 2 diabetes also have MASLD
• More than 70% of those with MASLD live with obesity
• Between 20% and 80% of people with elevated cholesterol or triglycerides are also affected by fatty liver disease

“Fatty liver disease is not just about the liver—it’s about the entire metabolic ecosystem,” said Sharon Jaycox, PhD, fatty liver disease program director at GLI. “If we fail to address it, we miss a major opportunity to detect and treat metabolic dysfunction early. We must educate patients and providers alike, embed liver screening in diabetes and obesity care, and drive equitable access to diagnostics and care.”

As part of this effort, GLI is advocating for systemic changes that embed liver health into broader metabolic care, urging health systems and policymakers to:

• Integrate liver screening into routine care for patients with obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic risks
• Educate both clinicians and the public on MASLD, MASH, and MetALD as essential components of metabolic disease
• Expand equitable access to affordable, noninvasive diagnostics such as FibroScan and liver enzyme testing
• Prioritize funding and health policy reforms that reflect the urgency of the growing liver disease crisis

References

1. Global fatty liver day 2025: elevating liver health in the metabolic health conversation. Global Liver Institute. News release. June 12, 2025. Accessed June 12, 2025. https://globalliver.org/global-fatty-liver-day-2025-elevating-liver-health-in-the-metabolic-health-conversation/
2. Wong VW, Ekstedt M, Wong GL, Hagström H. Changing epidemiology, global trends and implications for outcomes of NAFLD. J Hepatol. 2023;79(3):842-852. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2023.04.036
3. Le P, Tatar M, Dasarathy S, et al. Estimated burden of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in US adults, 2020 to 2050. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(1):e2454707. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.54707
4. Munz K. "Alarming rise" of global MASH-related primary liver cancer incidence since 2000. AJMC^®. January 28, 2025. Accessed June 12, 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/alarming-rise-of-global-mash-related-primary-liver-cancer-incidence-since-2000
5. McNulty R. Study highlights increasing global health burden of liver cancer. AJMC. June 12, 2024. Accessed June 12, 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/study-highlights-increasing-global-health-burden-of-liver-cancer