Liver stiffness dynamics in European populations (LiverScreen): a longitudinal, multicentre, prospective,...

Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) is a recommended screening tool for liver fibrosis. We aimed to examine long-term LSM dynamics within three European populations and identify risk factors for clinically significant changes.

This longitudinal, multicentre, prospective, population-based cohort study included three cohorts: Barcelona (recruited from primary care settings in Barcelona, Spain), Odense (recruited from a population at risk of alcohol-related liver disease in Odense, Denmark), and Rotterdam (including individuals recruited from the general population as part of the Rotterdam Study in Rotterdam, Netherlands). Participants aged 18 years or older were recruited using random sampling strategies. At baseline and follow-up, we collected participant medical history and medication use, anthropometric measurements, and fasting blood samples, and trained research nurses obtained LSM by vibration-controlled transient elastography. Participants were invited for follow-up after a minimum of 1 year. The two primary outcomes were clinically significant LSM changes, defined as: an LSM increase from a baseline value of less than 8·0 kPa to a follow-up value of 8·0 kPa or more, combined with a 30% or more change (ie, clinically significant LSM increase); or an LSM decrease from a baseline value of 8·0 kPa or more to a follow-up of less than 8·0 kPa, combined with a 30% or more change (ie, clinically significant LSM decrease).

Between Feb 2, 2010, and Oct 1, 2021, 8077 participants underwent baseline measurement, of whom 7884 had a reliable LSM. Date of last follow-up was Sept 4, 2024. Of 7884 participants at baseline, 1418 participants were ineligible for follow-up due to death, relocation, or inability to visit the research centre, leaving 6466 participants eligible for long-term follow-up. A total of 1286 declined follow-up, resulting in 5180 participants attending follow-up visits, corresponding to an 80·1% participation rate among those eligible. LSM was not performed in 588 participants due to logistical constraints, and 56 measurements were unreliable. The final longitudinal cohort comprised 4536 participants, with a median follow-up of 4·3 years (IQR 4·1-8·4). At baseline, median age was 62 years (IQR 56-68; range 19-92); 2345 (51·7%) participants were female and 2191 (48·3%) were male. 251 (5·5%) had a LSM of 8·0 kPa or more at baseline, of whom 110 (43·8%) had a clinically significant LSM decrease during follow-up. Among the 4285 (94·5%) participants with a baseline LSM of less than 8·0 kPa, 112 (2·6%) had a clinically significant increase during follow-up.

Our findings suggest that repeated LSM screening in community-dwelling European populations is feasible. During long-term follow-up, there was a low incidence of clinically significant LSM increase, suggesting that screening should be targeted towards individuals at high risk, such as those with obesity, harmful alcohol use, type 2 diabetes, and elevated alanine aminotransferase levels. The high incidence of LSM decreases suggests that short-term confirmatory testing could be warranted.

EU Horizon 2020 Research Innovation Programme.