Elevated levels of galectin-3 in the human body are primarily caused by pathological processes involving chronic inflammation, tissue injury, macrophage activation, and active fibrogenesis. Conditions such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), advanced liver cirrhosis, cardiac tissue remodeling following heart failure, renal fibrosis, and certain aggressive oncological malignancies stimulate immune cells and fibroblasts to overexpress galectin-3 proteins.