Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Latin America.

Claudia P Oliveira, Mario Guimarães Pessoa, Luis Antonio Diaz, Juan Pablo Arab, Adrian Gadano, Marco Arrese

Journal: Clinics in liver disease 2026;30(2):529-541

PMID: 42142908

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a major public health concern in Latin America, where prevalence exceeds 40%. A high frequency of genetic risk variants, particularly the PNPLA3 risk allele, contributes to greater disease prevalence and severity across the region. Fragmented health systems, shortages of trained personnel, and limited access to advanced noninvasive diagnostic tools and emerging pharmacotherapies constrain MASLD effective care in the region. These structural barriers highlight the need for coordinated public health strategies to expand screening, strengthen diagnostic capacity, and improve equitable access to treatment. This review summarizes regional epidemiology, diagnostic gaps, and health system priorities for addressing MASLD in Latin America.

Address: Departamento de Gastroenterologia, Hospital das Clínicas (LIM 07) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, MASLD Research Center, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Departamento de Gastroenterología, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.; Departamento de Gastroenterología, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.; Department of Research, Unidad de Hepatología y Trasplante Hepático, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.; Departamento de Gastroenterología, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Red de Salud UC CHRISTUS, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.cld.2026.01.014

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MeSH Terms: Humans, Latin America, Fatty Liver, Prevalence, Lipase, Membrane Proteins, Acyltransferases, Phospholipases A2, Calcium-Independent