Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common disease involving chronic accumulation of fat and inflammation in the liver, often leading to advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis and cancer. It is known that NASH shares many features with atherosclerosis, however, there are still no effective therapeutics. In a recent study published in Nature, investigators demonstrate that mice lacking a high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated gene were surprisingly protected from both steatohepatitis and atherosclerosis through the stabilization of the liver X receptor (LXR). This work reveals a timely candidate target for two highly prevalent cardiovascular diseases.