Q&A: Importance of Managing Comorbidities for Patients with MASLD | ASHP Midyear

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) effects millions of patients worldwide and has dire implications on overall health. With disease complications impacting other parts of the body, such as cardiovascular health, it’s important that pharmacists receive proper education for helping patients manage MASLD.

“Other counseling points are again related to managing comorbid disease states, such as blood pressure goals, blood sugar goals, how to manage those disease states, smoking cessation, alcohol cessation,” said Kathryn Litten, PharmD, clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s College of Pharmacy. “These are all really important.”

Litten gave a presentation at the ASHP 2024 Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibitiond titled "Getting the Skinny on Existing and Emerging Therapies for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease." | image credit: natali_mis / stock.adobe.com

Litten gave a presentation at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2024 Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition exploring patients’ MASLD outcomes and the interventions that best relieve their symptoms.

Drug Topics: When thinking of the risk factors associated with MASLD, what are some key counseling points that pharmacists can share with patients?

Litten: Key counseling points for managing fatty liver disease are related to [a] lifestyle of diet and exercise. There aren't any specific diets that are indicated or help the liver the most. Because it's so related to cardiovascular disease, the Mediterranean diet is one that's commonly prescribed or talked about, because it can also have that cardiovascular benefit. But anything that reduces your calorie intake and can promote weight loss is really important.

Same thing with exercise; using motivational interviewing strategies is so important for us as pharmacists to talk to our patients about and to help encourage them to promote that weight loss and promote those healthy outcomes. Other counseling points are again related to managing comorbid disease states, such as blood pressure goals, blood sugar goals, how to manage those disease states, smoking cessation, alcohol cessation. These are all really important.

Follow along with our coverage of the 2024 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition here.