Singapore, Oct. 1 -- 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 now 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 dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

The findings, published in Molecular Metabolism, could help explain why treatments designed for obesity-associated MASH may not work as effectively in lean patients and point towards more tailored approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

MASH is a progressive and severe form of liver disease ...