In 1980, researchers at the Mayo Clinic reported on a liver condition observed in twenty patients, most of whom were obese and/or presented with obesityrelated diseases such as type 2 diabetes or cholelithiasis.1 Although these patients reported moderate alcohol consumption, their liver tissues were characterized by fatty changes and functional abnormalities that histologically resembled alcoholic hepatitis. Fibrosis was noted in most of the specimens, and three individuals had cirrhosis. The researchers termed this condition “non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) of unknown cause.” In the ensuing three decades, the association between metabolic risk factors and hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis became solidified, and a new term, “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD),” was coined in 2007.2 NAFLD encompassed a broad spectrum of histologies from steatosis to steatohepatitis and included subtypes such as NASH (disease with characteristic liver complications) and non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL; disease without liver complications).

Proactively diagnosing MASLD will lead to more effective management and improve the quality of life for patients with the condition. Many patients who experience metabolic syndrome symptoms will visit their primary care clinician for treatment. To address the management of MASLD in primary care, the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians (NJAFP) assembled a panel of experts to improve patient outcomes by increasing primary care clinicians’ knowledge, comprehension, and performance in diagnosing and managing this condition.