Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino revealed that he was previously diagnosed with liver disease, according to an interview with People. Marino, 64, stated that he has metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The condition was previously known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Marino, who now serves as a special adviser for the Dolphins, was diagnosed with the liver disease back in 2007 when he went to the doctor for a routine checkup. At the time, the legendary Dolphins signal-caller felt “a little fatigued,” but wasn’t showing any other symptoms.
MASH takes place when fat cells show up in the liver, which can cause chronic inflammation and eventually lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer, per the Cleveland Clinic.
“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,'” Marino told People.
Marino added that he has gotten better at altering his diet over the years and exercises often. He did state that he didn’t watch diet nearly as much after he announced his retirement in 1999. His doctors suggested he begin a Mediterranean diet and to “cut back on the wine and pizza and candy, ice cream, those kind of things, you know — you can’t eat those as much.”
As a result, he trains with former Dolphins teammate Terry Kirby at Kirby’s gym. Marino also takes walks and bike rides with his wife, Claire.
When Marino retired from the NFL, he held records for career completions (4,967), passing yards (61,361), and touchdowns passes (420), all of which have since been broken. Marino was a nine-time Pro Bowler, five-time passing yards leader, three-time passing touchdowns leader, and even won the NFL MVP in 1984 when he became the first quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards in a season.
