- MASLD is the most common chronic liver disease in children and adolescents, causing progressive fibrosis, incident diabetes, and higher premature adult mortality.
- Youth-onset MASLD shows distinct histology compared with adults and lacks validated noninvasive tests and approved pharmacotherapy.
- Priority unmet needs include improving screening uptake, developing paediatric risk-stratification tools, and creating effective prevention and treatment strategies.
Clin Liver Dis. 2026 Nov;30(4):987-1007. doi: 10.1016/j.cld.2026.07.009. Epub 2026 Sep 4.
ABSTRACT
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease among children and adolescents worldwide. Pediatric MASLD is associated with significant morbidity during childhood, including progressive liver fibrosis and incident diabetes, and significantly increases risk of premature mortality in early adulthood. In comparison to MASLD in adults, youth-onset MASLD exhibits distinct histologic patterns, lacks well-validated noninvasive tests for risk stratification and approved pharmacotherapy, and may carry higher risk of long-term liver-related mortality. Critical areas of unmet need include improving rates of recommended screening, development of pediatric-specific risk stratification tools and developing more effective prevention and treatment strategies.
PMID:42946529 | DOI:10.1016/j.cld.2026.07.009
Share Evidence Blueprint
Save to Google Notes
Search Google Scholar
Save as PDF
⭐ My Revision List
