MASH is short for metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis. To learn more, explore common phrases related to MASH in the Glossary.
You may have heard of “fatty liver,” or your health care professional (HCP) may have told you that you have it. This means there's an excess buildup of fat in your liver, which, over time, can cause MASH. MASH is a serious condition in which the liver becomes inflamed and damaged (liver cells are enlarged and misshapen).
MASH used to be called “NASH” (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis), but the name was changed to better reflect the metabolic nature of this liver disease. Let’s break MASH down:
Metabolic = related to metabolism, how the body processes food into energy
Dysfunction = something isn’t working properly
Associated = linked or connected to
Steato = fat
Hepatitis = inflammation of the liver
If MASH progresses, liver scarring (fibrosis) may develop. This makes it harder for your liver to do its job. If the scarring gets worse, it can turn into cirrhosis, the most severe stage of liver scarring that can seriously affect your health.
If left untreated, MASH can lead to liver failure or liver cancer and is also associated with cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in people living with MASH. But when addressed as soon as possible, MASH can often be managed and even improved through lifestyle changes and treatment.
MASH is known as a silent disease because it has few or no obvious symptoms, especially early on. Many people living with MASH are unaware they have the disease until it progresses. As a result, serious liver damage can occur, increasing the risk for other major health issues.
When people with MASH do have symptoms, it’s not always obvious that they’re related to MASH. Some symptoms that have been reported before diagnosis include abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, and swelling in the abdomen.
Even if you don't feel like anything is wrong, MASH could already be progressing and causing liver damage. That’s why it’s important to talk to your HCP about assessing your risk for MASH.
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Wegovy® may affect the way some medicines work and some medicines may affect the way Wegovy® works. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other medicines to treat diabetes, including sulfonylureas or insulin. Wegovy® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
The most common side effects of Wegovy® may include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat.
Please see Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for Wegovy®.
Wegovy® is a prescription medication.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
This site is intended for US patients only.
WEGOVY® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg is an injectable prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to treat adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with moderate to advanced liver scarring (fibrosis), but not with cirrhosis of the liver.
This indication is approved based on improvement of MASH and liver scarring (fibrosis). There is an ongoing study to confirm the clinical benefit of Wegovy® in adults with MASH.
Wegovy® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.
It is not known if Wegovy® is safe and effective for use for the treatment of MASH in children under 18 years.
WEGOVY® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg is an injectable prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to treat adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with moderate to advanced liver scarring (fibrosis), but not with cirrhosis of the liver.
This indication is approved based on improvement of MASH and liver scarring (fibrosis). There is an ongoing study to confirm the clinical benefit of Wegovy® in adults with MASH.
Wegovy® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.
It is not known if Wegovy® is safe and effective for use for the treatment of MASH in children under 18 years.
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Wegovy® may affect the way some medicines work and some medicines may affect the way Wegovy® works. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other medicines to treat diabetes, including sulfonylureas or insulin. Wegovy® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.
Wegovy® may cause serious side effects, including:
The most common side effects of Wegovy® may include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat.
Please see Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for Wegovy®.
Wegovy® is a prescription medication.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
This site is intended for US patients only.
WEGOVY® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg is an injectable prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to treat adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with moderate to advanced liver scarring (fibrosis), but not with cirrhosis of the liver.
This indication is approved based on improvement of MASH and liver scarring (fibrosis). There is an ongoing study to confirm the clinical benefit of Wegovy® in adults with MASH.
Wegovy® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.
It is not known if Wegovy® is safe and effective for use for the treatment of MASH in children under 18 years.