Partitioned polygenic risk scores identify distinct types of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) encompasses an excess of triglycerides in the liver, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. While there is solid epidemiological evidence of MASLD coexisting with cardiometabolic disease, several leading genetic risk factors for MASLD do not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, suggesting no causal relationship between MASLD and cardiometabolic derangement. In this work, we leveraged measurements of visceral adiposity and identified 27 novel genetic loci associated with MASLD. Among these loci, we replicated 6 in several independent cohorts. Next, we generated two partitioned polygenic risk scores (PRS) based on the mechanism of genetic association with MASLD encompassing intra-hepatic lipoprotein retention. The two PRS suggest the presence of at least two distinct types of MASLD, one confined to the liver resulting in a more aggressive liver disease and one that is systemic and results in a higher risk of cardiometabolic disease.