Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2025
Author Spotlight: Establishing MASLD Cell Models for Investigating Disease Mechanisms and the Lipid-Lowering Effects of Koumiss
Published on: July 19, 2024
Relationship between sarcopenia and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD): A systematic
Adnan Malik1, Sadia Javaid2, Muhammad Imran Malik3
1Mountain Vista Medical Center, Mesa Arizona, USA.
Introduction And Objectives:
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) formerly known as Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic disease. Identifying MASLD risk factors could help early intervention and reduce the burden of the disease. Previous studies investigated the association between sarcopenia and NAFLD. Several trials were published after the last meta-analysis with indecisive results. This is an updated meta-analysis which aims to assess the association between sarcopenia, MASLD, and MASLD-related fibrosis.
Materials And Methods:
Relevant trials published on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases until October 2022 were included. We included studies in which skeletal mass index (SMI) or sarcopenia was compared between patients with and without NAFLD now MASLD. Also, studies comparing fibrosis between MASLD patients with and without sarcopenia were included. Data were pooled as odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) using Review Manager Software.
Results:
A total of 25 studies were included. The incidence of sarcopenia was significantly higher in MASLD than controls (OR, 1.25; 95 % CI, 1.08-1.44; P = 0.003). SMI odds showed no significant difference between MASLD patients and controls (OR, 1.02; 95 % CI, 0.91-1.15; P = 0.7). MASLD patients with sarcopenia had higher odds of fibrosis than MASLD patients without sarcopenia (OR, 1.49; 95 % CI, 1.03-2.14; P = 0.03).
Conclusions:
Sarcopenia increased MASLD's probability and was associated with a higher probability of liver fibrosis in MASLD patients. However, SMI had no predictive value of MASLD occurrence.
