Your Liver, Your Health Event in New York City Shines a Spotlight on the Global MASLD/MASH Crisis

Michael Betel, President and Founder of the Fatty Liver Alliance, leading efforts across North America to raise awareness, promote early screening, and advocate for equitable access to care and treatment for those living with MASLD and MASH.
Experts and advocates unite at Mount Sinai to call for early screening, patient empowerment, and global action against metabolic liver disease.
Leading Experts Call for Early Screening and Global Action
Dr. Meena Bansal, Director of the Mount Sinai MASLD/MASH Center of Excellence, delivered a powerful message on the need for early detection and proactive management of liver disease in high-risk groups. She emphasized that fibrosis drives outcomes in MASLD and MASH, explaining that patients with diabetes, obesity, or hypertension are at highest risk and that simple tools such as FIB-4 and FibroScan® can help identify advanced fibrosis early.
Dr. Bansal also discussed how additional non-invasive tests, such as ELF, can be integrated in primary care to help assess liver fibrosis and guide referrals to specialists. She highlighted new treatment options, including Rezdiffra (resmetirom), the first FDA-approved therapy for MASH, and Wegovy (semaglutide), a GLP-1 receptor agonist recently approved for MASH, which improves both metabolic and liver outcomes.
Professor Jeffrey V. Lazarus (ISGlobal, MASH Cities, CUNY School of Public Health) provided a global perspective on the growing burden of metabolic liver disease.
“MASH is the most common non-communicable disease you’ve never heard of,” said Professor Lazarus. “Despite its scale, it remains largely invisible in public health discussions. We need WHO, the UN, and city health systems to put liver health on the global NCD agenda, alongside diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.”
Professor Lazarus shared findings from the MASH Cities Awareness Survey, which revealed that public understanding of MASLD and MASH remains alarmingly low, below 15% in most cities surveyed. He called for a people-centered, multi-disciplinary approach that brings together hepatology, cardiology, endocrinology, obesity medicine, and primary care.
Local Impact: On-Site Liver Health Assessments
In a hands-on demonstration of community impact, nearly all event attendees received a FibroScan® liver health assessment, giving them real-time feedback on their liver condition and underscoring the importance of early, accessible screening.
United in Advocacy
“This event showed how collaboration between clinicians, researchers, and patients can drive real change,” said Michael Betel, President and Founder of the Fatty Liver Alliance. “Early detection saves lives, but only if we raise awareness, screen those at risk, and make treatments accessible to everyone.”
Acknowledging Industry Support
The Fatty Liver Alliance extends its gratitude to its industry sponsors — Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, Echosens, Regeneron, and 89bio — for their commitment to advancing liver health, and to Mount Sinai and MASH Cities for their partnership in making this event possible.
About the Fatty Liver Alliance
The Fatty Liver Alliance is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the risks, causes, and complications of fatty liver disease. FLA works to empower patients, support healthcare professionals, and advocate for access to care and approved treatments. Learn more at www.fattyliver.ca
About Your Liver, Your Health
Your Liver, Your Health is a signature community outreach initiative of the Fatty Liver Alliance designed to bring education, screening, and advocacy directly into communities. Each event features expert speakers, patient stories, and on-site liver health assessments using FibroScan® or Hepatus® Series technology.
Following the success of the New York City event, additional Your Liver, Your Health programs are planned across North America, including Calgary, Houston, Toronto, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Edinburg as part of a broader effort to promote early detection and empower patients to take charge of their liver health.
Media Contact: Michael Betel
Fatty Liver Alliance
📧 info@fattyliver.ca
🌐 www.fattyliver.ca
Michael Betel
Fatty Liver Alliance
+1 716-603-4351
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