More than a third of the world’s population is affected by fatty liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction, or “MAFLD,” the most common chronic liver disease globally. It occurs when fat accumulates in the liver and is linked to one or more of five conditions: obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, and low levels of HDL cholesterol, known as “good” cholesterol. These conditions are classified as cardiometabolic risk factors because they affect the heart or metabolism.
MAFLD can lead to serious diseases such as advanced liver, heart, and kidney diseases. However, little research has been conducted to examine whether some cardiometabolic risk factors associated with MAFLD are more closely linked to mortality than others, according to a newspaper report. These findings were independent of the number or combination of cardiometabolic risk factors in patients and remained consistent regardless of their gender, race, or ethnic origin.
Researchers were particularly surprised to discover that high blood pressure is associated with an increased likelihood of death compared to diabetes. The study also found that obesity, the most common cardiometabolic risk factor for MAFLD, can significantly increase the risk of death depending on the patient’s Body Mass Index (BMI), a formula used to estimate body fat based on an individual’s height and weight. The higher the patient’s BMI, the more it is associated with mortality.
The researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which collected health information from children and adults in the United States between 1988 and 2018, the latest year for which data was available for their study. Among 134,515 participants aged 20 and over, approximately 21,000 patients were diagnosed with MAFLD.
The study authors hope to conduct further studies investigating the genetic background of patients, their dietary habits, and alcohol consumption to provide more comprehensive risk profiles. A researcher concluded, “The deeper we understand the causes of the disease, the better we can identify the groups most in need of interventions and prioritize our resources to improve outcomes.”
