STAT+: In small study, baby aspirin cuts fat buildup in liver disease patients
Low-dose aspirin led to a reduction in liver fat among patients with metabolic-associated liver disease, a small study out of Boston found.
The clinical trial, led by Tracey Simon of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, compared two groups of patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD. One group was given baby aspirin daily for six months, while the other received a placebo pill. At the end of the study period, the aspirin group had reduced hepatic fat content while the placebo group had higher fat buildup.
MASLD (formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) is a growing health threat, with one in three Americans having a troublesome amount of fat in their liver. The lipid buildup feeds into a toxic cycle of inflammation, tissue damage and ultimately, irreversible scarring.
