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August 2025
In this video, April Morris, FNP, shares her expertise on the close connection between type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease (MASLD/MASH). With over 16 years of experience in hepatology and endocrinology, she explains why patients with type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of developing MASH due to shared risk factors like insulin resistance and obesity. April highlights how improving glycemic control, lowering A1C, weight loss, and lifestyle modifications can significantly reduce liver fat, inflammation, and fibrosis progression. She discusses the benefits of modern diabetes medications—including GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, SGLT2 inhibitors, and metformin—and how they not only improve blood sugar and weight management but also support liver, kidney, and heart health. Importantly, she notes that most diabetes medications remain safe for patients with liver disease unless advanced decompensated cirrhosis is present, where caution with metformin may be necessary due to lactic acidosis risk. April emphasizes that treating diabetes aggressively and reaching an A1C target around 7% can slow or even prevent progression of liver fibrosis. For APPs and providers, the takeaway is clear: effective diabetes management is one of the most powerful tools to improve liver outcomes.
Related Podcast
Podcast: LFTs Demystified: A Practical Guide for APPs
June 2025
In this podcast episode, Michelle Barnett, PA-C, a liver disease specialist based in Colorado Springs, provides a clear and practical overview on demystifying liver enzyme abnormalities—particularly in the context of MASH (Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis) and MASLD (Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease). With MASLD affecting nearly 1 in 4 American adults, understanding liver enzyme patterns is critical for early detection and effective management. Michelle breaks down commonly reported values from hepatic function panels—ALT, ALP (alkaline phosphatase), and total bilirubin—explaining what constitutes normal, acute, subacute, and chronic elevations. She walks through hepatocellular, cholestatic, mixed, and isolated hyperbilirubinemia patterns and what they reveal about underlying liver conditions such as MASH, alcohol-associated liver disease, viral hepatitis, biliary obstruction, and drug-induced liver injury. Whether you're a provider or a patient looking to better understand lab results, this episode delivers expert guidance on interpreting liver enzyme elevations to support more informed clinical decisions.
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LFTs Demystified: A practical guide for APPs
July 2025
In this GHAPP MASLD Community Network podcast, Jessica Crimaldi, NP, from the Cleveland Clinic, provides practical, real-world insights into interpreting liver function tests (LFTs) in the context of MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease) and MASH (steatohepatitis). Drawing on over a decade of experience in GI and hepatology, Jessica explains common ALT and AST elevation patterns that should prompt a diagnostic workup, even in asymptomatic patients. She reviews the hepatocellular vs. cholestatic patterns of injury, the value of the R-factor calculator in identifying the likely etiology of liver enzyme abnormalities, and how to differentiate MASH from other liver diseases such as PBC, viral hepatitis, or bile duct obstruction. The episode also addresses key non-liver labs like triglycerides, A1C, and cholesterol, and how they contribute to assessing metabolic risk. Finally, Jessica discusses the role of serial LFT monitoring in evaluating treatment response—highlighting what it means when liver enzyme levels fall and why "normal" LFTs don’t always indicate disease resolution. Whether you're a primary care provider or hepatology specialist, this podcast offers valuable guidance for early detection, risk stratification, and longitudinal monitoring of patients with MASH.
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Podcast: Pharmacotherapy for MASH/MASLD: An Overview
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In this informative episode, Lindsay Yoder, PA, a hepatology expert at Indiana University, provides a comprehensive overview of current pharmacotherapy options for MASH (Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis), focusing on the first FDA-approved medication, resmetirom (brand name: Rezdiffra). Speaking directly to the MASLD/MASH Community Network, Lindsay breaks down the key histologic endpoints that led to resmetirom’s conditional approval—namely, fibrosis improvement without worsening of steatohepatitis, and MASH resolution without worsening fibrosis. She shares real-world data from clinical trials showing that resmetirom nearly doubles the rate of fibrosis improvement and triples MASH resolution compared to placebo. Lindsay also explains how the drug works: as a thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist, resmetirom improves hepatic lipid metabolism, reduces liver fat, and dampens inflammation—all key drivers of MASH progression. She outlines ideal patient criteria (stage F2–F3 fibrosis without cirrhosis), safety considerations, tolerability, potential side effects, and statin interactions. With an emphasis on combining pharmacotherapy with lifestyle changes, this episode serves as a practical guide for clinicians treating patients with MASH who qualify for advanced intervention.
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Join Kelly Smeester, MMS, RD, PA-C, from South Denver Gastroenterology, for an in-depth discussion on the latest tools and strategies in non-invasive liver disease assessment, presented through the GHAPP MASLD Community Network. This evidence-based session walks viewers through a case study of a patient with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) and explores the full range of non-invasive testing modalities used to evaluate liver fat, stiffness, and fibrosis risk. Kelly breaks down the utility of key tests including FIB-4, ELF Score, FibroScan (VCTE), and MR Elastography, and compares their accuracy, accessibility, limitations, and clinical value. Learn how to interpret biomarkers such as CAP (Controlled Attenuation Parameter) and kPa (Kilopascals), how to navigate indeterminate FIB-4 results, and when to escalate to more advanced imaging like MRE. The session also provides insights into combined scoring models (FAST, MAST, MEFIB), real-world use cases, and how comorbidities and patient-specific factors (BMI, ALT, bilirubin, ascites) can impact test reliability. Whether you're managing early-stage fatty liver disease or advanced fibrosis, this session provides essential knowledge to guide accurate diagnosis, risk stratification, and long-term monitoring without a liver biopsy.
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Motivational Interviewing: Practical Techniques for Lifestyle Adherence
August 2025
Discover how motivational interviewing can transform the management of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) by empowering patients to make sustainable lifestyle changes. In this session, we explore why lifestyle modification—particularly achieving 5–10% weight loss—is the most effective intervention for MASLD, yet often fails when approached through traditional “diet and exercise” advice alone. Learn the four core principles of motivational interviewing—expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance, and supporting self-efficacy—and how to apply them in real-world clinical encounters to improve patient engagement and outcomes. Through practical strategies, sample dialogue, and a compelling patient case study, this discussion highlights how small, achievable changes in diet and physical activity can reduce hepatic inflammation, improve insulin resistance, and even reverse fibrosis. Whether you’re a hepatology provider, primary care clinician, or allied health professional, you’ll gain actionable tools to activate patient motivation, overcome barriers, and support lasting behavioral change in MASLD care.
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MASLD Basics With Gabriella McCarty
August 2025
In this educational session, Gabriella McCarty, NP at North Shore Gastroenterology, shares practical insights into Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) and MASH. Drawing from over 25 years of experience in GI, IBD, and hepatology, she explains how many fatty liver patients are discovered incidentally during workups for unrelated issues such as GERD or routine colonoscopy. Gabriella reviews the new global terminology (MASLD replacing NAFLD, MASH replacing NASH), outlines key metabolic risk factors that define MASLD, and walks through the role of non-invasive tests (FIB-4, FibroScan, ELF, ultrasound) in staging fibrosis. She emphasizes the importance of early detection, patient education, and primary care involvement in identifying at-risk individuals before progression to advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis, or liver cancer. This presentation highlights how MASLD can silently progress, why primary care and GI collaboration are critical, and the growing need for global awareness and prevention of progressive liver disease.
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MASLD Pharmacotherapy With Brian Lam
August 2025
Join Brian Lam, PA-C, Associate Medical Director of Research at INOVA and Chair of the Global NASH/MASH Council, for an insightful discussion on pharmacotherapy for MASLD (Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease), also known as fatty liver disease. This episode, part of the GHAPP MASLD Community Network, explores the evolution of treatment options—including GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide, the antioxidant benefits of vitamin E, the metabolic impact of pioglitazone, and the targeted liver-specific mechanism of action of Resmetirom (a THR-β agonist). Learn how weight loss remains a foundational strategy for MASH management, but with FDA approval of new agents like Resmetirom in March 2024, we now have more tools to address hepatic inflammation and fibrosis directly. Brian also shares practical considerations around comorbidities, cardiovascular risk, statin use, and how to evaluate appropriate patients using non-invasive testing like transient elastography and MR elastography. Whether you're new to managing fatty liver or an experienced hepatology APP, this overview provides the latest guidance and clinical insight to improve patient outcomes in MASLD and MASH care.
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Podcast: PCP Screening for MASH/MASLD: Identifying At-Risk Patients
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In this essential podcast episode from the GHAPP MASLD/MASH Community Network, Summer Collier, NP at UC San Diego Health, dives into the critical role that primary care providers and advanced practice providers play in recognizing and managing MASLD (Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease) and its progressive form, MASH (Metabolic-associated steatohepatitis). With MASLD affecting a growing number of patients—many undiagnosed—Summer walks through practical strategies for early identification, starting with high-risk individuals such as those with type 2 diabetes, obesity, or metabolic syndrome. She highlights the use of the FIB-4 index as a quick, validated, and guideline-recommended first-line screening tool, and explains how to interpret FIB-4 results to stratify risk and determine next steps, including ELF testing, FibroScan®, or referral to GI/hepatology. Summer also offers actionable workflow tips to integrate liver screening into routine primary care, like embedding FIB-4 calculators in EMRs or incorporating assessments into annual diabetes visits. This episode is a must-listen for clinicians seeking to prevent liver fibrosis progression and liver cancer through early, proactive care.
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Differentiating Between F3 and F4
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In this comprehensive discussion, HoChong Gilles, a nurse practitioner with 25 years of hepatology experience at the Richmond VA Medical Center, explores the critical importance of accurately distinguishing between F3 (advanced fibrosis) and F4 (cirrhosis) in patients with MASH (metabolic-associated steatohepatitis). While both stages carry increased risks of liver-specific and overall mortality, Gilles explains that F3 may still be reversible with lifestyle changes or pharmacotherapy, whereas F4 signals irreversible liver damage with heightened risk of complications like portal hypertension, hepatic encephalopathy, and liver cancer. Viewers will gain a deeper understanding of how non-invasive tests—like FIB-4, ELF, FibroScan, and MRE—perform in identifying fibrosis stage, including their limitations and overlaps. Gilles also outlines when to consider liver biopsy, especially in cases with discordant test results, atypical features, or clinical uncertainty. This video emphasizes how staging accuracy informs eligibility for therapies, surveillance strategies like HCC screening, and overall prognosis. Learn how to approach this nuanced distinction in clinical practice and why F3 vs. F4 isn't just semantics—it's a turning point in patient care.
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Non-Invasive Testing With Sherona Bau
July 2025
In this engaging and highly informative GHAPP MASLD Community Network session, Sherona Bau, PA-C, walks attendees through a practical overview of non-invasive testing (NIT) for evaluating liver health in patients with MASLD (Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease) and MASH (Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis). Drawing on real-world clinical experience, Sherona explains why non-invasive testing is essential for identifying fibrosis risk in a population where liver steatosis is prevalent in up to 30% of U.S. adults. Through the case of a 65-year-old Hispanic male named Albert, Sherona demonstrates how to interpret and apply tools such as FIB-4, FibroScan (VCTE and CAP score), ELF (Enhanced Liver Fibrosis) test, and MR Elastography (MRE). She highlights their respective strengths, limitations, clinical cut-offs, and insurance-related considerations. The session also covers when to order tests, how to assess data quality (e.g., IQR/median ratio in VCTE), and when to escalate care to hepatology or cardiology. Whether you are a primary care provider, endocrinologist, or hepatology specialist, this talk delivers practical algorithms and decision-making pathways for managing MASLD, improving early detection of fibrosis and cirrhosis, and integrating cardiovascular risk assessment into liver care. Sherona also emphasizes the importance of alcohol use history, metabolic syndrome risk factors, and annual NIT follow-up in patients at risk for disease progression.
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