Aging and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a bidirectional relationship
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 4-Aug-2025 05:11 ET (4-Aug-2025 09:11 GMT/UTC)
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly NAFLD) and aging are locked in a vicious circle: senescence of liver cells accelerates fat accumulation, inflammation and fibrosis, while chronic steatosis in turn hastens hepatic decline. Up to 38 % of adults worldwide have MASLD, and prevalence, severity and mortality all rise with age. Ageing livers shrink by ~30 %, clear lipids and glucose less efficiently, and regenerate more slowly after injury. Lipid deposition is driven by falling β-oxidation, leptin resistance and the GPCPD1–glycerophosphocholine pathway; glucose intolerance emerges from insulin resistance linked to visceral obesity and telomere-p53 signalling. Senescent hepatocytes, endothelial cells, stellate cells and Kupffer macrophages each contribute distinct pathologies, but their shared secretion of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) propagates damage throughout the organ.
Researchers analyzed data from 27,656 Americans between 23 and 43 years old in the ADD Health study. They found that participants reporting to have poor or worse hearing had significantly lower educational attainment, a lower probability of being in paid work, and earned less than their peers. These negative impacts of hearing loss were especially pronounced for Black and Hispanic Americans. Suffering from tinnitus was not found to have any effect on these outcomes. The authors propose better access to hearing care, early screening, and workplace support, as well as reducing stigma, to level the playing field for people with hearing loss.
Identifying embryos with the highest likelihood of successful implantation is a critical component of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process. Visual assessments are limited by the subjectivity of embryologists, making consistent evaluation of embryo health challenging with traditional methods. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI)—particularly in computer vision and deep learning—have enabled the automated analysis of embryo morphology images, reducing subjectivity and improving evaluation efficiency. Through an extensive literature search using keywords such as “embryo health assessment” and “artificial intelligence,” the present review focuses on AI-driven approaches for automated embryo evaluation. It examines AI techniques applied to embryo assessment across the early development, blastocyst, and full developmental stages. This review indicated the promising potential of AI technologies in enhancing the precision, consistency, and speed of embryo selection. AI models have been reported to outperform manual evaluations across several parameters, offering promising opportunities to improve success rates and operational efficiency in reproductive medicine. Additionally, this review discusses the current limitations of AI implementation in clinical settings and explores future research directions. Overall, the review provides insight into AI’s growing role in advancing embryo selection and highlights the path toward fully automated evaluation systems in assisted reproductive technology.
A new study involving more than 700 university students found that trigger warnings do not make students feel more supported or positive toward instructors, despite being widely endorsed. Students who received trigger warnings before trauma-related lectures did not rate instructors as more trustworthy, caring, or open to controversial discussions.In contrast, 'in a safe space' messages had a clear positive impact.
Salk Institute researchers launch machine learning framework ShortStop, which explores overlooked DNA regions in the "dark side" of the human genome in search of microproteins that may play roles in health or disease. They already used ShortStop to analyze a lung cancer dataset and find microproteins that may serve as biomarkers or therapeutic targets.