Road to diagnosis: Crush patient stories

You might not think much about what makes a liver healthy or unhealthy. And when your liver starts to become unhealthy, you may not notice any symptoms right away.

A healthy liver contains only a small amount of fat. But when too much fat accumulates in the liver over time, this can lead to a condition called the steatohepatitis associated with metabolic dysfunction, better known as mash. This condition is the most frequent in people with metabolic conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

Puree can become quite serious. Excess fat in the liver can trigger inflammation, damage liver cells or kill them. If this inflammation is not controlled, it can cause scars – known as fibrosis – or more advanced conditions such as cirrhosis and liver insufficiency.

Because the symptoms of puree – like fatigue and weakness – are vague and non -specific, many people do not realize that they have it until important liver lesions have already occurred. The diagnosis of puree generally requires blood tests, imaging tests such as MRIs or Fibroscan ultrasounds, or even hepatic biopsy.

Fortunately, the treatments improve. Until recently, Mash management was mainly based on lifestyle changes such as diet and weight loss. But in 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug specifically for the treatment of puree: Rezdiffra (Resmetirom), for patients with moderate to advanced liver scars.

Studies also suggest that semaglutide, active ingredient in ozempic and Wegovy, can help reduce liver inflammation and fat accumulation in puree patients.

In fact, the reception of these treatments begins by being able to identify the condition in the first place. This is why we share the diagnostic trips of different puree patients. They detailed their roads to the diagnosis to help people who can experience the same thing.

Despite my father previously diagnosed with liver cirrhosis (Permanent damage and advanced liver scars) And receiving a liver transplant in 2013, my own liver problems are not diagnosed for years. My doctors have ignored the number of liver enzymes raised in my blood, attributing it to additional weight and possible thyroid problems.

As my liver condition was finally diagnosed, he had turned into a puree.

I was first told that I was more at risk of fatty liver disease in 2005. I had never heard the term before. My primary care provider did not seem too concerned about the construction of excess fat in my liver, and I felt good. So, for the next nine years, I continued my life as usual.

Then, in 2014, I was diagnosed with a puree. Finally, my puree led to liver cancer and I needed a liver transplant.