Across the globe, a silent health crisis is unfolding in the form of fatty liver disease. While undetectable for years, AI tools could revolutionise detection and treatment.

The presence of fat in healthy livers should be negligible, but many adults, even children, now have fat levels exceeding 5% or 10%, leading to inflammation, cell damage, and fibrosis. This condition, affecting 30% of adult populations worldwide, can progress to liver failure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and various cancers.

Early detection is crucial as three-quarters of patients are only diagnosed when their condition has become life-threatening. AI tools could comb through electronic health records to identify those at high risk, potentially reversing the damage with lifestyle changes or novel drugs like semaglutide.

The Fib-4 index and enhanced liver fibrosis test exist but remain underutilised, especially in those at higher risk such as obese individuals or those with type 2 diabetes. AI could streamline this process by automating calculations from routine blood tests and even x-ray scans, making fatty liver detection more accessible.

AI-powered algorithms like LiverPRO are already outperforming traditional tools, predicting liver fibrosis in middle-aged people more accurately than the Fib-4 index. This development holds promise for early intervention, potentially saving lives and reducing healthcare costs by preventing unnecessary invasive procedures.