Non-Cirrhotic Steatotic Liver Disease is Associated With Impaired Muscle Function: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Muscle Physiology
• Metabolic Diseases

Background:

• Impaired muscle function is common in cirrhosis, but data on non-cirrhotic steatotic liver disease (SLD) are limited.
• This study investigates muscle function in non-cirrhotic SLD patients and its association with SLD subtype and severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if non-cirrhotic SLD patients exhibit impaired muscle function compared to controls.
• To assess the association between SLD subtype (MASLD vs. ALD) and severity with muscle function deficits.

Main Methods:

• Prospective recruitment of 150 non-cirrhotic SLD patients (75 MASLD, 75 ALD) and 30 controls.
• Liver disease assessment via imaging, transient elastography, and non-invasive tests.
• Muscle function evaluation using the Liver Frailty Index (LFI) and isokinetic dynamometry; diet and physical activity were recorded.

Main Results:

• The LFI correlated negatively with lower limb muscle strength in all groups.
• Both SLD groups demonstrated impaired muscle strength compared to controls, independent of age, BMI, and energetic balance.
• Multivariate analysis indicated SLD presence was associated with impaired muscle function, with alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) posing a higher risk.

Conclusions:

• Non-cirrhotic SLD patients exhibit impaired muscle function compared to controls.
• These findings suggest a disrupted liver-muscle axis in SLD, preceding cirrhosis development.
• Muscle dysfunction in SLD highlights the need for early intervention strategies.