Prevalence of liver fibrosis in the general population (the LiverScreen project): a multinational European cohort...

Small scale, single-country studies suggest that undiagnosed liver fibrosis is prevalent in the general population; however, its true burden and main risk factors remain unclear. We aimed to assess the prevalence of undiagnosed liver fibrosis and its relationship with metabolic factors or alcohol consumption in a large prospective population-based multinational cohort study.

We enrolled individuals from the general population who were aged 40 years and older across 35 sites, including primary health centres and screening units, and their 16 affiliated tertiary hospitals in nine European countries. Liver fibrosis was estimated using the liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE). A positive test was defined as an LSM of 8 kPa and greater or an alanine aminotransferase concentration of at least 1·5 the upper limit of normal, or a combination of both. Individuals with at least one criterion were referred for hepatology consultation to confirm chronic liver disease with fibrosis. The primary outcome was the prevalence of LSM of 8 kPa and greater.

We enrolled 30 199 individuals (mean age 58 years; 57% [17 203 of 30 199] women, 89% [24 440 of 27 481]White) from nine European countries. Metabolic factors were present in 70% (21 084 of 30 024) of participants, and 59% (15 107 of 25 488) of participants reported alcohol use, with 6·1% (1771 of 29 081) of participants reporting harmful consumption. The positive screening rate was 6·9% with a prevalence of 4·6% with an LSM of 8 kPa and greater. Elevated LSM was strongly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and harmful alcohol use. Of the participants referred, 61% (1491 of 2457) completed a hepatology evaluation, and chronic liver disease with fibrosis was confirmed in 32% (477 of 1491) of participants, yielding an overall estimated prevalence of 1·6% (477 of 30 199). Steatotic liver disease accounted for 93% (443 of 477) of cases.

Undiagnosed liver fibrosis is common in the general population in Europe and is primarily driven by metabolic factors and alcohol consumption. Early detection is pivotal as it could allow personalised interventions that can prevent progression to cirrhosis and complications.

The European Commission, Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria de Salud, the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness, and the European Regional Development Fund.