Liver disease doesn’t have to be a silent threat.
By knowing your FIB-4 Score, making healthy lifestyle choices, and working with your healthcare provider, you can protect your powerhouse for years to come.
This October — Take Action!
Know Your FIB-4 Score — Protect Your Powerhouse
One simple tool your doctor can use to check for advanced liver scarring is the FIB-4 Score.
- What it is: A calculation based on your age and routine blood tests — AST, ALT, and platelet count — to estimate the likelihood of liver fibrosis.
- Why it’s important: The FIB-4 can identify people at higher risk for advanced liver disease, even if they have no symptoms.
How to Ask Your Doctor for Your FIB-4
- Request the labs: Ask for a blood panel that includes AST, ALT, and platelet count.
- Calculate your score: Your doctor can do this for you, or you can use a reputable online FIB-4 calculator.
- Discuss next steps:
- A low score usually means no significant scarring.
- A higher score may require additional testing (like FibroScan® or MRI) to assess liver health.
Liver Health Awareness Month: Why October Is the Time to Protect Your Powerhouse
Introduction
October is Liver Health Awareness Month, a time to shine a light on one of the body’s hardest-working but most overlooked organs. Your liver filters toxins, stores energy, and helps digest nutrients, yet liver disease often develops silently without obvious symptoms until it’s advanced, making early detection essential.
Understanding Fatty Liver Disease (MASLD & MASH)
Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly NAFLD) and metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH, formerly NASH) affect millions of people without them knowing.
- MASLD: Fat accumulates in the liver, often linked to excess weight, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol.
- MASH: A more severe stage with inflammation and liver cell damage, leading to fibrosis (scarring).
Key Fact: Most people with MASLD or MASH have no symptoms until serious damage occurs.
Why You Should Know Your FIB-4 Score
The FIB-4 Score is a simple calculation that helps doctors estimate the level of fibrosis in your liver. It uses:
- Your age
- AST (aspartate aminotransferase)
- ALT (alanine aminotransferase)
- Platelet count
A higher score can indicate a higher risk of advanced scarring, prompting further testing such as FibroScan® or MRI.
How to Get Your FIB-4 Score
- Ask your doctor for a blood test that includes AST, ALT, and platelet count.
- Have your doctor calculate your FIB-4 score or use a trusted online calculator.
- Discuss results and determine whether additional screening is needed.
Taking Action This October
- Get screened for fatty liver disease if you have risk factors like obesity, diabetes, or high cholesterol.
- Know your FIB-4 Score and track it over time.
- Make healthy lifestyle changes, balanced diet, regular exercise, limited added sugar and alcohol.
Bottom Line
Liver disease can be silent, but your response doesn’t have to be. This October, take charge of your liver health, because protecting your powerhouse means protecting your future.
Check Your FIB-4 Score TodayThe Hidden Threat: Fatty Liver Disease (MASLD & MASH)
Your liver is your body’s powerhouse — working 24/7 to filter toxins, process nutrients, store energy, and keep you healthy. Yet, liver disease often develops silently, without obvious symptoms, until it’s advanced.
Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly NAFLD) and metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH, formerly NASH) are among the most common liver diseases worldwide.
- MASLD occurs when excess fat builds up in the liver, often linked to factors like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol.
- MASH is a more severe form where inflammation and liver cell damage can lead to scarring (fibrosis) and, over time, cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Why it matters: Most people with MASLD or MASH have no symptoms until serious damage has occurred. You can feel fine and still have significant liver disease. That’s why screening and early detection are critical.
