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Patient handout

MASLD / MASH (formerly NAFLD/NASH)

PRODUCTION

1. Your condition

This handout is for masld / mash (formerly nafld/nash). Your care team identified this based on: incidentally elevated alt or hepatic steatosis on imaging.

Other reasons your team may use this plan: hepatic steatosis on us/ct/mri; elevated fib-4 score (≥1.3) on routine screening in at-risk population; known masld/nafld on problem list — follow-up or progression concern.

2. Your medications

Take these medications exactly as prescribed. Do not stop or change a dose without talking to your provider.

MedicationStarting doseHowWhenWhat it does
lifestyle_weight_loss≥5% body weight loss for steatosis resolution; ≥7-10% for MASH/inflammation resolution; ≥10% for fibrosis regressionAASLD 2023 — weight loss is the most effective intervention; Mediterranean diet preferred; caloric deficit 500-1000 kcal/day; 150-300 min/week moderate-intensity exercise
bariatric_surgeryBMI ≥35 (or ≥30 with metabolic comorbidities) with MASHAASLD 2023 — bariatric surgery achieves sustained weight loss and MASH resolution in most patients; observational evidence of fibrosis improvement

Plan: Lifestyle intervention — cornerstone of MASLD treatment (AASLD 2023)

3. When to call your provider

Contact your care team if any of the following happen:

  • FIB-4 rising to ≥2.67 → hepatology referral (AASLD 2023)
  • VCTE LSM ≥8 kPa → hepatology referral (AASLD 2023)
  • Progression to cirrhosis → cirrhosis engine (gi.cirrhosis.core.v1)
  • Decompensation event (ascites, variceal bleed, HE) → inpatient cirrhosis management (AASLD 2023)
  • Drug-induced ALT >5× ULN on resmetirom → hold and reassess (FDA label 2024)

4. When to seek emergency care

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have:

  • MASLD progressed to cirrhosis (F4) — VCTE ≥15-20 kPa or biopsy-confirmed (AASLD 2023)

5. Follow-up

Lifestyle reinforcement; weight loss maintenance; medication adherence; cardiovascular risk reduction (leading cause of death in MASLD); HCC surveillance if cirrhotic; consideration of bariatric surgery if BMI ≥35 with MASH (AASLD 2023)

6. Sources

Guideline: AASLD 2023 Practice Guidance on Clinical Assessment and Management of NAFLD/MASLD + EASL 2024 Clinical Practice Guidelines on MASLD + Rinella Hepatology 2023 (nomenclature) + PIVENS (Sanyal NEJM 2010) + MAESTRO-NASH (Harrison NEJM 2024)

  1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36727674
  2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37364790
  3. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20427778