23 Jun 2026
- New research published in Nature Communications finds Labcorp’s Metabolic Vulnerability Index (MVX) can help predict liver disease progression and mortality
- Findings published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism suggest Labcorp’s NIS2+ blood test may help clinicians quickly identify patients at risk for MASH and significant fibrosis in clinical settings
BURLINGTON, N.C., (June 23, 2026) — Labcorp (NYSE: LH), a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services, today 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), the most common chronic liver disease in the United States, and its more severe form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which can involve significant liver scarring due to fat in the liver.
Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults have MASLD, also referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, but identifying which individuals are most likely to progress to serious complications such as liver failure, liver cancer or death remains a challenge. Current risk assessment approaches are multi-step and may involve laboratory testing, imaging, and, in some cases, liver biopsy. Together, these findings suggest blood‑based tools help simplify risk assessment and support earlier identification of patients who may benefit from closer monitoring or intervention.
Predicting Risk of Serious Outcomes in MASLD
In the study “The Metabolic Vulnerability Index Predicts Outcomes in Patients with Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease” published in Nature Communications, researchers evaluated the prognostic performance of Labcorp’s Metabolic Vulnerability Index (MVX), a blood-based score (0–100) derived from circulating inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers for its ability to predict the risk of serious outcomes for patients with MASLD.
Higher MVX scores were strongly associated with worse clinical and liver-related outcomes over time. Each 10-point increase in MVX 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, MVX improved prediction of all-cause mortality, liver-related mortality, liver decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma (a common form of liver cancer) compared with fibrosis stage alone.
Supporting Earlier Identification of At‑Risk MASH
A separate study “High Prevalence of Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis with Significant Fibrosis in Primary Care and Endocrinology Clinics” published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism evaluated Labcorp’s NIS2+ blood test to assess risk of MASH with clinically significant fibrosis (“at-risk MASH”).
The study found at-risk MASH was significantly more common among individuals with both obesity and type 2 diabetes, with 29% classified as high-risk by the test compared to 3% of individuals with neither condition.
Because current risk assessment approaches often rely on specialized imaging or tests that are not always readily accessible, these findings suggest NIS2+ may help clinicians more quickly identify patients who may benefit from further clinical evaluation.
“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,” said Margery Connelly, Ph.D., strategic director for diagnostics research and development and study author from Labcorp. “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 that MVX and NIS2+ should replace current tools, the findings support continued development of less invasive, biologically informed approaches to understanding risk in MASLD and MASH.
MVX and NIS2+ are part of Labcorp’s portfolio of blood‑based solutions for MASLD and MASH. Learn more: https://www.labcorp.com/treatment-areas/nash-mash.
About Labcorp
Labcorp (NYSE: LH) is a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services that helps doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers and patients make clear and confident decisions. We provide insights and advance science to improve health and improve lives through our unparalleled diagnostics and drug development laboratory capabilities. The company's nearly 70,000 employees serve clients in approximately 100 countries, provided support for 75% of the new drugs and therapeutic products approved in 2024 by the FDA, and perform more than 700 million tests annually for patients around the world. Learn more about us at www.labcorp.com.