Prevalence of liver fibrosis and obesity in patients with metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Liver fibrosis stage is considered the strongest predictor of disease-specific mortality in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Objective — to investigate the prevalence of obesity and liver fibrosis stages in patients with MASLD. It was a multicentre cross-sectional study involving adult patients aged 18 years and older, who were referred for FibroMaxpanels during January 2020 — January 2024 in Kyiv and Kyiv oblast region in Ukraine, with the degree of hepatic steatosis > 5 % confirmed by Steatotest and at least one of five cardiometabolic risk factors (MASLD criteria defined by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)). The exclusion criteria were evidence of other acute or chronic liver diseases, other than MASLD. Biochemical tests necessary for the FibroMaxpanels (BioPredictive, France) were measured in the central regional laboratory. We included 334 participants in data analysis with age median 48 years (interquartile range 41 — 58) and 71 % of them were males (n = 237). Median of BMI was 30.9 kg/m2 (interquartile range 28.3 — 33.5). Obesity (body mass index - 30 kg/m2) was recorded in 58 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 52.6 — 63.43) of the participants. Liver fibrosis stages distribution was the following: F0 — 54.2 % (95 % CI 48.68 — 59.63), F1 — 24.6 % (95 % CI 20.03 — 29.53), F2 — 6.6 % (95 % CI 4.17 — 9.8), F3 — 8.7 % (95 % CI 5.89 — 12.23) and F4 — 6.0 %. (95 % CI 3.7 — 9.1). Significant liver fibrosis (>= F2) and obesity were found to be highly prevalent in patients with MASLD. These findings support the need for implementing liver fibrosis screening programs in Ukrainian adults with MASLD.