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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.
Related Podcast
Monitoring for MASLD in Type 2 Diabetes
July 2025
In this episode, Kelly Smeester, PA-C from South Denver Gastroenterology, explores the critical intersection of type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Drawing from her background in both hepatology and endocrinology, Kelly offers practical, evidence-based strategies for non-invasive monitoring of liver fibrosis in patients with diabetes who may initially appear low risk. She highlights the utility of tools like FIB-4, ELF score, FibroScan, and MR elastography, while emphasizing the limitations of relying solely on liver function tests (LFTs). Kelly recommends annual FIB-4 screening—easily calculated with existing lab values—and discusses when to escalate to more advanced diagnostics. She also shares how advanced practice providers (APPs) can seamlessly integrate MASH education, lifestyle counseling, and routine screening into the diabetes care workflow, supporting early intervention and long-term liver health. This episode is a must-listen for clinicians looking to optimize care for patients at risk of silent liver disease progression in the setting of metabolic co-morbidities.
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Lifestyle Management With Allysa Saggese
August 2025
Join Allysa Saggese, NP, from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, for an insightful and practical discussion on lifestyle management for MASLD and MASH, presented through the GHAPP MASLD/MASH Community Network, sponsored by Madrigal Pharmaceuticals. In this case-based presentation, Allysa walks viewers through the non-pharmacologic strategies used to manage Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), highlighting the role of nutrition, physical activity, and patient-centered counseling. Using a real-world example of a 65-year-old patient with obesity, diabetes, and steatosis, Allysa demonstrates how to assess fibrosis risk through non-invasive testing like FIB-4 and FibroScan, and explains how lifestyle modifications remain central to slowing disease progression—even in the era of advanced therapeutics. The session explores the importance of motivational interviewing, cultural dietary preferences, and how to structure effective, individualized conversations around reducing sugar intake, increasing movement at home, and achieving sustainable 5–10% weight loss to improve liver histology. Allysa also breaks down the metabolic interplay between central adiposity, insulin resistance, and liver inflammation, and shares counseling tips to build patient trust and long-term engagement. Whether you're a GI or hepatology provider, this session delivers real-world guidance to help empower patients to reverse early liver damage through everyday lifestyle changes.
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Misconceptions About Liver Health
July 2025
In this quick myth-busting session, Elizabeth Alqueza, PA-C from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, addresses two of the most common misconceptions in hepatology related to steatotic liver disease (MASLD/MASH). First, she explains that liver disease is not always fixed or irreversible—and with proper management and elimination of the underlying cause, liver fibrosis can improve over time, a trend often monitored through FibroScan®. Second, she clarifies that significant liver improvement does not require extreme weight loss. In fact, a modest 5–10% reduction in total body weight—sometimes as little as 10–20 pounds—can lead to measurable improvements in liver inflammation and fibrosis. This video is ideal for providers and patients seeking a clearer understanding of how lifestyle changes can reverse liver disease and why timely, targeted interventions matter.
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NITs: A Practical Overview: Navigating the Basics
October 2025
In this educational session, Stacie Egan, NP, from Ogden Clinic Gastroenterology, explores the critical role of non-invasive testing (NITs) in diagnosing and managing MASLD (Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease) and MASH (Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis). Stacy explains the key differences between MASLD—fat accumulation without active damage—and MASH, where inflammation and cellular injury drive fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Understanding this distinction is vital for early detection and intervention. This session also highlights how ALT levels, metabolic comorbidities, and alcohol use should influence decision-making, and why combining test results with clinical context ensures accurate risk stratification. Clinicians will learn how to use NITs not as standalone diagnostics, but as integrated puzzle pieces that drive earlier treatment with lifestyle modification and emerging pharmacotherapies for F2–F3 fibrosis. Perfect for APPs, NPs, and GIs managing patients with fatty liver disease, this video offers a clear roadmap to detect, monitor, and manage MASH with fibrosis—improving outcomes while minimizing invasive procedures.
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Common Questions from Community GI About MASH
July 2025
In this practical and timely video, Erin Tanner, NP at Gastro Health in Birmingham, Alabama, shares expert insights on how community gastroenterology providers should approach incidental findings of fatty liver (MASLD/MASH) on abdominal imaging. With over 14 years of experience in GI and hepatology, Erin emphasizes that fatty liver can no longer be ignored, even when discovered during workups for unrelated GI symptoms like reflux or diarrhea. She walks through the step-by-step use of the FIB-4 index to risk-stratify patients and explains when to follow up with further non-invasive testing such as FibroScan® or ultrasound elastography. For patients with F3 fibrosis, Erin outlines next steps including lifestyle interventions, the use of Resmetirom, and the promise of GLP-1 therapies for future treatment. This is a must-watch for GI clinicians aiming to improve outcomes by proactively managing fatty liver disease in everyday practice.
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LFTs Demystified: A Practical Guide for APPs
July 2025
In this informative session, Anthony Derencius, PA-C and sub-investigator at Pinnacle Clinical Research, provides a practical and accessible breakdown of liver function tests (LFTs) and liver-associated enzymes, with a focus on their role in diagnosing and monitoring fatty liver disease—including MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease) and MASH (metabolic-associated steatohepatitis). Drawing from years of experience in both general and transplant hepatology, Anthony explains how to interpret key markers like ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, albumin, and GGT. He emphasizes why elevated or even normal LFTs don’t always tell the whole story, and how a full workup—including viral hepatitis panels, autoimmune markers, alcohol-related labs, imaging, and non-invasive fibrosis assessments—can help uncover the root cause of liver injury. This video also walks viewers through when to consider additional tools like FIB-4, ELF score, FibroScan, or even liver biopsy. Whether you're a primary care provider or hepatology specialist, this session will sharpen your ability to distinguish between benign lab variations and signs of serious liver disease, ultimately supporting earlier diagnosis and better outcomes for your patients.
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MASLD vs MetALD With Maribeth Capuno
September 2025
In this case-based talk from the GHAPP MASLD Community Network, Maribeth Capuno, DNP reviews how to differentiate metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) from metabolic dysfunction plus alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD). Using a 52-year-old patient with ultrasound-confirmed steatosis, metabolic risks (PCOS, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, prediabetes), and daily wine intake, she walks through labs and noninvasive testing—FibroScan 11.4 kPa (F3 fibrosis) and CAP 310 (severe steatosis)—plus an objective PEth biomarker of 120 indicating moderate–heavy alcohol use. The session covers the SLD spectrum, “standard drink” counseling, why questionnaires (AUDIT) and biomarkers (PEth) uncover under-reported alcohol use, and how alcohol synergizes with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia to accelerate fibrosis and decompensation risk. Practical management includes Mediterranean-style nutrition, exercise with 5–10% weight-loss goals, strict alcohol cessation, medication considerations for advanced fibrosis, and HCC surveillance in F3 disease. Ideal for APPs and hepatology clinicians, this video delivers step-by-step evaluation, diagnostic criteria, and clear, patient-education talking points to improve MASLD/MetALD assessment and outcomes.
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Monitoring for MASLD in Type 2 Diabetes
July 2025
In this episode of the GHAPP MASLD podcast series, Lavinia Iordache, PA-C from the University of Miami, shares expert guidance on monitoring metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in patients with type 2 diabetes—a group at particularly high risk for disease progression. Lavinia explains the bidirectional relationship between MASLD and diabetes, highlighting the importance of early screening, timely non-invasive testing (NITs), and proactive management strategies to prevent advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. She reviews essential tools such as FIB-4, ELF score, FibroScan, and MRI-PDFF, and offers clear recommendations on when to escalate care, refer to specialty clinics, or intensify follow-up. The discussion also covers the role of lifestyle interventions including the Mediterranean diet, intermittent fasting, exercise, and coffee consumption, as well as strategies to improve adherence despite psychosocial, cultural, or financial barriers. Lavinia emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to managing MASLD and provides practical tips for tracking lifestyle changes, such as journaling and the use of the EDAS questionnaire. Whether you’re a GI, endocrinology, or primary care provider, this episode offers an actionable roadmap for reducing liver-related complications in patients with diabetes.
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MASLD Basics With Emily Przybyl
September 2025
Emily Przybyl, PA-C, breaks down the basics of Steatotic Liver Disease (SLD) and the updated MASLD/MASH nomenclature—what changed, why it matters, and how to apply it in daily practice. You'll learn how to distinguish MASLD, MetALD, and alcohol-associated liver disease, interpret alcohol exposure (weekly vs. daily intake), and recognize non-metabolic causes of steatosis (DILI, monogenic disorders, viral hepatitis). Emily walks through primary care–friendly risk assessment using FIB-4, when to order VCTE/FibroScan or the ELF test, when to refer to hepatology, and when liver biopsy is still the right move in discordant cases. Using a real patient case, Emily demonstrates a stepwise chronic liver disease workup (viral serologies, iron studies, autoimmune markers, celiac, A1AT, HIV, lipids, A1C, and PEth for alcohol), plus how ultrasound findings (steatosis, smooth contour, spleen size) inform staging. She reviews natural history and progression (who’s at risk to advance to fibrosis/cirrhosis), the roles of genetics and the gut microbiome, and practical counseling on lifestyle modification—BMI/waist thresholds by ethnicity, cardiometabolic risk control, and culturally sensitive nutrition and exercise plans. Perfect for APPs, primary care, and hepatology teams looking for a clear, actionable primer on MASLD/MASH.
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Comparing F3 and F4 Fibrosis With Lindsay Pratt
July 2025
Join Lindsey Pratt, PA-C from the University of Colorado Liver Transplant Program, for an in-depth clinical comparison of F3 and F4 fibrosis in patients with MASLD (Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease) and MASH (Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis). Using an identical patient profile with differing non-invasive testing results, Lindsey demonstrates how to accurately stage fibrosis using tools like FIB-4, FibroScan, CAP score, and ELF test—emphasizing when pharmacologic intervention is appropriate and when advanced monitoring becomes critical. This session explores the clinical implications of fibrosis staging, treatment pathways including resmetirom (Rezdiffra), the role of GLP-1 receptor agonists, and practical nutrition and lifestyle strategies. For F4 patients, Lindsey outlines key elements of surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), portal hypertension management, and transplant evaluation. Whether you're in hepatology or primary care, this case-based discussion offers evidence-backed guidance for managing patients across the MASLD/MASH spectrum and preventing liver disease progression.
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