{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreicqbdf7s5irjfdfjy3q3do6ctwwjujepm244zbt3akvekgfwgiyui",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:oznbnvgr7dmvddiyvr7dih52/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjgxoghcupv2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreie6mlrjjgvwwqi3hp7qs2as6hjz66xqxjtpxrg36bezvqqsve6434"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 40424
  },
  "path": "/health/liver-disease-diabetes-cases-global-surge",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-14T08:11:15.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Dementia warning as midlife nutrient linked to hidden brain changes 16 years later",
    "Gender treatment doesn't cut mental distress - and can make it worse, landmark study shows",
    "Dietitian names breakfast staples that spike blood sugar more than orange juice",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nMetabolic liver disease is set to reach epidemic proportions within the next quarter-century, according to a landmark study published in The Lancet.\n\nThe research indicates that metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, formerly termed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, will affect approximately 1.8 billion individuals worldwide by 2050.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nCurrently, some 1.3 billion people suffer from the condition globally, representing roughly one in six of the world's population.\n\nThis marks a staggering 143 per cent surge over three decades, with cases having risen from around 500 million in 1990.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe projections suggest a further 42 per cent increase from present levels.\n\nBritain has recorded the steepest rise in prevalence rates across western Europe, with cases climbing by a third between 1990 and 2023.\n\nThis 33 per cent increase places the UK ahead of other developed nations grappling with the condition.\n\nAustralia experienced a 30 per cent growth in prevalence over the same period, whilst the United States saw a 22 per cent rise.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nCertain regions face particularly acute challenges, with North Africa and the Middle East reporting disproportionately elevated rates compared with other parts of the world.\n\nThe global prevalence rate reached 14,429 cases per 100,000 people in 2023, a 29 per cent increase since 1990.\n\nElevated blood sugar levels represent the primary driver of health complications associated with the condition, followed by high body mass index and tobacco use.\n\nThese factors underscore the strong connections between MASLD and both type 2 diabetes and obesity.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Dementia warning as midlife nutrient linked to hidden brain changes 16 years later\n  * Gender treatment doesn't cut mental distress - and can make it worse, landmark study shows\n  * Dietitian names breakfast staples that spike blood sugar more than orange juice\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe disease affects men at higher rates than women, with the greatest prevalence observed among those aged 80 to 84.\n\nHowever, the bulk of cases occur in considerably younger cohorts, predominantly affecting men between 35 and 39 years of age and women aged 55 to 59.\n\nResearchers noted that the condition is increasingly striking younger adults as health and lifestyle patterns deteriorate.\n\nThe condition frequently produces no noticeable symptoms, meaning many individuals remain unaware they have it until tests conducted for unrelated purposes reveal the diagnosis.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nWhen symptoms do manifest, they typically include persistent fatigue, general malaise, and discomfort beneath the ribs on the right side of the abdomen.\n\nTreatment generally centres on modifications to diet and exercise, given the condition's association with excess weight.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nPlease write at least 4 paragraphs\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe study's authors, based at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, emphasised that MASLD must be recognised as a global health priority.\n\nThey called for targeted policies, public awareness campaigns and interventions to address its mounting impact and forestall serious complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "'Silent' liver disease in non-drinkers set to affect 1.8 billion people by 2050 driven by obesity and diabetes"
}