Metabolic Risk Factors Associated With MASLD Identified

WEDNESDAY, April 29, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypothyroidism are independent metabolic risk factors (MRF) for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), according to a study recently published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology.Ke-Qin Hu, from the University of California in Irvine, and colleagues used the All of Us electronic health record-linked large cohort to assess seven MRFs simultaneously and clinical presentations of MASLD. The study included 15,060 participants with MASLD and 75,300 frequency-matched controls. The frequencies of MRFs and clinical outcomes were compared between the groups.The researchers found that the overall frequency of MASLD was 6.0 percent. Individuals with MASLD had a significantly higher independent frequency of obesity (66.1 versus 41.3 percent), type 2 diabetes (39.5 versus 16.9 percent), hypertension (64.3 versus 38.6 percent), hyperlipidemia (59.8 versus 37.3 percent), obstructive sleep apnea (28.9 versus 13.4 percent), and hypothyroidism (21.2 versus 13.4 percent) compared with the control group. The strongest independent MRF was obesity among Asians, Whites, and Hispanics, especially among those younger than 50 years; hypertension was the strongest independent MRF among Blacks. Compared with the control group, MASLD was associated with significantly higher frequencies of cardiac events, including coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction; hepatic events, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma; and elevated liver enzymes, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase."The variability in MRFs across race, ethnicity, and age subgroups may indicate the potential pathogenic roles of genetic susceptibility and other environmental factors," the authors write.One author disclosed ties to Madrigal Pharmaceuticals.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Metabolic Risk Factors Associated With MASLD Identified

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