MASH symptoms

People living with MASH often have few or no symptoms, especially in its early stages. People with MASH usually report feeling non-specific symptoms that can easily be mistaken for other conditions. 

These symptoms may include: 

• Abdominal pain, usually in the upper right side (or discomfort in the upper right belly area)
• Back pain 
• Fatigue 
• Weakness 
• Loss of appetite 
• Nausea 
• Swelling of the leg 

Because symptoms are often non-specific, it can be challenging to recognize and diagnose MASH. If you think you might be at risk of MASH or are already showing symptoms, it's important to contact your healthcare provider right away. 

Under the guidance of your healthcare professional, you will likely undergo a number of simple imaging and blood tests to assess your risk and confirm the diagnosis and severity. 

In case these tests are inconsistent a liver biopsy may be needed to assess the severity of the disease¹.

MASH impacts a growing number of people worldwide², with more than 250 million people living with the condition³.

Scientists do not fully understand what causes MASLD (the early stage of MASH) or why some people develop MASH and others do not. Research suggests that environmental factors, family history, and genetics may also play a role⁴.

MASH is often found to coexist in people who also live with obesity or Type 2 Diabetes⁵. More than one in three people living with obesity also live with MASH, and one in three people living with Type 2 Diabetes also live with MASH⁶. Other common risk factors include dyslipidemia⁷ and hypertension⁸.

If you are living with obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, dyslipidemia or hypertension you could be at risk of developing MASH, and your healthcare provider should monitor your risk of MASH as part of your regular follow-up.

Both MASLD and MASH have being linked to¹⁰:

• Poor diet
• Inactive life-style
• Obesity 
• Type 2 Diabetes 
• Insulin resistance 
• High cholesterol 
• High blood pressure  
• Hypothyroidism
• Sleep apnea 

If you are living with one or more of the above conditions, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider about MASH.