The former Miami Dolphins quarterback told People magazine his diagnosis came after letting diet and exercise slide during retirement, but remains optimistic.

Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino (pictured at the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., in 2019) told People magazine he is managing his fatty liver disease with help from loved ones in an interview published Monday. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI UPI

Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Dan Marino said he has been diagnosed with fatty liver disease and he is managing it with the help of friends and family, the NFL great disclosed in an exclusive interview with People magazine published Monday.

The former Miami Dolphins quarterback told People he received the diagnosis in 2007 during a routine checkup after letting his exercise and diet slide during retirement.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, the ailment's medical name, occurs when fat cells build up on the organ and can progress to cirrhosis or cancer if left unchecked. In non-alcoholics it can be caused by excess cholesterol, high-blood pressure among other factors. About four in 10 adults in the United States have some form of fatty liver disease.

Marino, 63, did not have any obvious symptoms and was only feeling "a little fatigued" when he received the diagnosis, he told People. The good news was that his doctors said it could be reversed with diet and weight loss, he recalled.

"It's 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," Marino, who played his last game for the Dolphins in 1999 but didn't officially retire until 2017.

The Hall of Famer suspected that his diet was the primary cause of his fatty liver disease, he told the magazine. That meant cutting back on pizza, wine and sweats in favor of the Mediterranean diet, he said.

For Marino, making changes to get the disease under control meant getting help from friends and family, according to People. Marino said he works out with former teammate Terry Kirby. His wife, Claire, accompanies him on routine walks and bike rides, along with keeping him on track and making sure he keeps doctor's appointments.

"It's the people that love you and you love them," he said. "It feels like a little village."

While Marino still has the disease, he told People that ultrasounds show it has remained stable and he expects his prognosis to "get better and better and better."