New study finds growing link between diabetes, obesity and liver disease

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Diagnoses of a liver condition linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes have increased fivefold over a decade, according to a new study.

Researchers noted that despite “growing recognition” of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) – previously called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease – a “diagnostic gap persists”.

Triggered by fat building up in the liver, symptoms include abdominal pain, severe tiredness, and feeling generally unwell.

Overweight or inactive individuals face higher risk, alongside people with type 2 diabetics, the over-50s and those with high blood pressure.

The study by researchers at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Glasgow looked at GP records from almost 12 million people in the UK between 2003 and 2022.

It found that recorded diagnoses of MASLD were 0.02% of adults in 2003, the equivalent of 1,300 people.

This rose to 0.5% in 2012 and 2.4% in 2022, or 283,762 people.

It is estimated that almost six million people in the UK are living with diabetes, almost 1.3 million of which may be living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes (Getty/iStock)

New diagnoses doubled from 2012 to 2022, and those diagnosed with the condition were three times as likely to have type 2 diabetes.

Researchers suggest that a blood test that enables doctors to estimate liver scarring “presents an opportunity to detect advanced fibrosis”.

People of south Asian ethnicity were also “overrepresented” when it came to MASLD diagnoses.

However, they were least likely to have a score used to estimate liver scarring despite higher levels of type 2 diabetes.

Researchers said “more progress is needed to reach public health goals in this disease”.

“Equally urgent is the need for additional research to identify and mitigate any risks of compounding health disparities among different ethnic groups especially in the era of medicines with specific indications in this space,” they added.

Based on estimated cases of MASLD cases in Europe, the study found that a “substantial diagnostic gap remains” in the UK.

Researchers said: “The current data demonstrate that while UK prevalence has risen substantially to 2.42%, the diagnostic gap remains large compared to expected rates.”

They suggest that, to close the gap, “at-risk groups such as those living with type 2 diabetes and obesity should be identified and case-finding actively pursued”.

It is estimated that almost six million people in the UK are living with diabetes, almost 1.3 million of which may be living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

The latest NHS data also shows that in 2024, 30% of adults aged 16 and over were obese.