That headline is misleading. There is no single hidden sign that everyone with fatty liver disease has.
In fact, many people with fatty liver—particularly metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)—have no symptoms at all, especially in the early stages. It is often discovered incidentally during blood tests or imaging performed for another reason.
When symptoms or signs do occur, they may include:
- Fatigue
- A feeling of fullness or discomfort in the upper right abdomen
- Enlarged liver (found during a medical examination)
- Mildly elevated liver enzymes on blood tests
Many people with fatty liver also have associated conditions such as:
- Overweight or obesity
- type 2 diabetes mellitus or prediabetes
- High blood pressure
- High triglycerides or low HDL (“good”) cholesterol
These are risk factors, not hidden signs, and they are not present in everyone with fatty liver.
When should you see a doctor?
If you have risk factors for fatty liver or abnormal liver tests, your healthcare provider may recommend:
- Blood tests to assess liver function
- An ultrasound or other imaging of the liver
- In some cases, specialized tests to evaluate liver scarring (fibrosis)
The encouraging news is that, for many people, fatty liver can improve with lifestyle changes such as gradual weight loss (if appropriate), regular physical activity, and management of diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
If you saw a video claiming there’s one “hidden sign” that everyone with fatty liver has, it’s almost certainly overstating the evidence.
