Labcorp studies report new blood-based tools, including the Metabolic Vulnerability Index, may improve risk assessment for MASLD and MASH, offering enhanced prediction of adverse liver outcomes.
Labcorp announced findings from two peer-reviewed studies demonstrating the potential of blood-based tools to improve risk assessment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its more severe form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
MASLD is the most common chronic liver disease in the US, affecting approximately one in three adults. Identifying which individuals are likely to progress to liver failure, liver cancer, or death remains a challenge for clinicians. Current assessment methods often involve laboratory testing, imaging, and liver biopsy.
In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers evaluated Labcorp’s Metabolic Vulnerability Index (MVX), a blood-based score ranging from zero to 100. The score is derived from circulating inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers to predict the risk of serious outcomes in patients with MASLD.
The study found that higher MVX scores were strongly associated with worse clinical and liver-related outcomes. Each 10-point increase in the index was associated with a 2.7-fold higher risk of all-cause mortality, a 5.1-fold higher risk of liver-related mortality, and a 2.5-fold higher risk of liver decompensation. When combined with fibrosis stage, the index improved the prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma, a common form of liver cancer, compared to using fibrosis stage alone.
A separate study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism evaluated the NIS2+ blood test for assessing the risk of MASH with clinically significant fibrosis, also known as at-risk MASH. The research found that at-risk MASH was significantly more common in individuals with both obesity and type 2 diabetes. Specifically, 29% of those patients were classified as high-risk by the test, compared to 3% of individuals with neither condition.
“Risk assessment in MASLD has traditionally focused on fibrosis, but fibrosis stage alone may not fully capture the underlying metabolic and inflammatory drivers of disease progression,” says Margery Connelly, PhD, strategic director for diagnostics research and development and study author from Labcorp, in a release. “Together, these studies highlight how blood-based tools can help assess risk earlier and identify patients who need closer monitoring.”
While the studies do not suggest these tests should replace current tools, the findings support the development of less invasive, biologically informed approaches to understanding risk in MASLD and MASH.
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