High-salt diet may drive fatty liver disease differently in lean people
Fatty liver disease is commonly associated with obesity, yet a growing number of people with normal body weight develop a severe form of the condition. Scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School have identified a distinct mechanism in a mouse model that may help explain why: Excess dietary salt can alter liver metabolism and trigger inflammatory pathways associated with lean metabolic…
Fatty liver disease, often linked to obesity, now appears to present differently in lean individuals. Scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School have discovered that excessive salt intake can trigger lean metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a severe liver condition. This condition, prevalent in Asian populations, is marked by liver inflammation and tissue scarring, potentially leading to life-threatening complications.
The researchers developed a mouse model that reflects lean MASH, revealing that high dietary salt alters liver metabolism and activates immune cells, causing inflammation. These findings could explain why treatments for obesity-related MASH are less effective in lean patients, suggesting a need for tailored diagnostic and treatment approaches.
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