Miami Dolphins legendary quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino has liver disease, he revealed Monday.
Marino, 64, was diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, which was formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, in 2007. MASH is a serious liver disease that develops when fat buildup in your liver causes inflammation, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, discomfort in your upper belly, swollen stomach or legs, and more, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Marino said he was diagnosed when he went for a routine checkup after feeling “a little fatigued,” he told People.
“I kind of let my diet go … that’s really where [MASH] kind of came about,” he said.
“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 added.
Marino said his doctor recommended the Mediterranean diet and to “cut back on the wine and pizza and candy and ice cream.” He also recommended that Marino exercise regularly and focus on his health on a “consistent basis.”
“It’s the exercise, riding bike, walking, and diet, and then getting back to just being consistent — waking up and making sure you gotta do something every day,” he said.
As part of his exercise routine, Marino trains with former Dolphins teammate Terry Kirby at a nearby gym and also goes on nightly walks and bike rides with his wife, Claire.
“It’s the people that love you and you love them,” he said. “It feels like a little village.”
Marino revealed his diagnosis as part of the “Unordinary Stories” campaign by Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company headquartered in Denmark. He said he wanted to publicly share his diagnosis to raise awareness around MASH and encourage others diagnosed with the disease.
“If you get diagnosed with fatty liver and MASH, doing the things you need to do, like I talked about — diet, working out — and staying consistent with it, that’s what our message really is,” Marino said.
Marino played 17 seasons in the NFL from 1983-1999, all for the Dolphins, which drafted him out of Pittsburgh in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He won the 1984 NFL MVP in his second season in the league, which also marked his first of three consecutive seasons he earned All-Pro First Team honors. Marino was selected to nine Pro Bowls in his career and led the NFL in passing yards five times and passing touchdowns three times.
Marino ranks seventh in NFL history in career passing touchdowns (420), ninth in passing yards (61,361), and 10th in passes completed (4,967).