Prevalence of MASLD and Fibrosis Risk in Turkish Adults with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Nationwide Multicenter...

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Cardiology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Limited data exists on the prevalence of Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in Türkiye.
• A recent international consensus redefined fatty liver disease terminology, necessitating updated epidemiological studies.
• Cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) are associated with MASLD and its progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the nationwide prevalence of MASLD in Turkish adults with CMRF.
• To assess the risk of advanced hepatic fibrosis in this population.
• To identify predictors of high fibrosis risk.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 14,371 adults with at least one CMRF across 44 centers in Türkiye.
• MASLD diagnosis via liver ultrasonography and cardiometabolic criteria.
• Advanced fibrosis risk evaluated using the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score, with adjusted thresholds for age.

Main Results:

• MASLD prevalence was high at 75.7% among participants with CMRF, increasing with the number of risk factors.
• The prevalence of high FIB-4 scores was 12.0%, notably lower in MASLD patients (11.2%) compared to non-MASLD patients (14.4%).
• Higher BMI was inversely associated with high FIB-4 scores, while male sex, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension predicted increased fibrosis risk.

Conclusions:

• MASLD is highly prevalent, affecting three-quarters of Turkish adults with CMRF.
• Standard FIB-4 score thresholds may underestimate fibrosis risk in individuals with obesity and smoking history.
• This study provides the first nationwide prevalence data for MASLD in Türkiye, highlighting the need for refined fibrosis assessment tools.