Blood proteins can predict liver disease up to 16 years before symptoms: Study
Scientists have identified five specific blood proteins that can accurately predict a person's risk for developing a serious form of liver disease as early as 16 years before they experience symptoms, enabling early intervention and possible prevention and treatment, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2025.
The findings address metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which has become the most common form of liver disease worldwide and is continuing to increase. People with MASLD face up to twice the mortality rate of those without the disease.
“Imagine if we could predict risk of MASLD years before it starts,” said Shiyi Yu, MD, resident physician in the department of gastroenterology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital in China. “Too often, people do not find out they are at risk for liver disease before they are diagnosed and coping with symptoms. The field urgently needs effective biomarkers and predictive models, and our research shows that plasma proteins offer novel potential strategies for early prediction and intervention.”
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