Eighteen years after diagnosis, Marino reveals how he dealt with liver disease
Dolphins legend Dan Marino said Monday he was diagnosed with liver disease 18 years ago but is doing well after adjusting his diet and committing to a regular exercise routine.
Marino, who works for the team as a special advisor, made the revelation in an interview with People Magazine, in conjunction with Novo Nordisk’s Unordinary Stories campaign, which partners with current and former athletes to discuss health issues.
Marino, who turned 64 on Monday, said that during a routine checkup in 2007, doctors diagnosed him with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH.
The condition — previously known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease — occurs when fat cells accumulate in the liver, which can cause chronic inflammation that can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis if left untreated.
Marino, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, told the magazine that he had no symptoms when diagnosed, beyond “a little” fatigue.
“The doctors right away said that can be reversible, it can be taken care of, but, mainly for me, they were saying, like, ‘You gotta work out. You got to lose weight,’ ” he told People.
Marino has achieved that during the past 18 years through exercise and by reducing intake of alcohol, candy, ice cream and pizza.
Marino said that after he retired in 2000 after 17 seasons in the NFL, “I kind of let my diet go... That’s really where it kind of came about.”
Marino’s exercise routine includes daily walks and bike rides with his wife, Claire, and gym work under the direction of former Dolphins running back Terry Kirby.
Marino told People that his disease “hasn’t changed … I get the ultrasounds and all that every year and so far it’s been fine” — and he said he expects his prognosis is “gonna get better and better and better.”
He said in making his diagnosis public after 18 years, he hopes to “get people aware of it, so maybe they can get treated and it can make a difference in their lives.”
This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 11:45 AM.
