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Comparison of all-cause mortality associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in Taiwan MJ cohort
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Wei-Chun Cheng, Hua-Fen Chen, Hsiu-Chi Cheng, Chung-Yi Li
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Epidemiol Health. 2024;46:e2024024. Published online January 21, 2024
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2024024
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 Abstract
Summary
 PDF Supplementary Material
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
The global burden of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is rising. An alternative term, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), instead highlights the associated metabolic risks. This cohort study examined patient classifications under NAFLD and MAFLD criteria and their associations with all-cause mortality.
METHODS Participants who attended a paid health check-up (2012-2015) were included. Hepatic steatosis (HS) was diagnosed ultrasonographically. NAFLD was defined as HS without secondary causes, while MAFLD involved HS with overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or ≥2 metabolic dysfunctions. Mortality was tracked via the Taiwan Death Registry until November 30, 2022.
RESULTS Of 118,915 participants, 36.9% had NAFLD, 40.2% had MAFLD, and 32.9% met both definitions. Participants with NAFLD alone had lower mortality, and those with MAFLD alone had higher mortality, than individuals with both conditions. After adjustment for potential confounders, the hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality were 1.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78 to 1.48) for NAFLD alone and 1.26 (95% CI, 1.09 to 1.47) for MAFLD alone, relative to both conditions. Advanced fibrosis conferred greater mortality risk, with HRs of 1.93 (95% CI, 1.44 to 2.58) and 2.08 (95% CI, 1.61 to 2.70) for advanced fibrotic NAFLD and MAFLD, respectively. Key mortality risk factors for NAFLD and MAFLD included older age, unmarried status, higher body mass index, smoking, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and advanced fibrosis.
CONCLUSIONS All-cause mortality in NAFLD and/or MAFLD was linked to cardiometabolic covariates, with risk attenuated after multivariable adjustment. A high fibrosis-4 index score, indicating fibrosis, could identify fatty liver disease cases involving elevated mortality risk.
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Summary
Key Message
In a cohort study involving 118,915 Taiwanese participants in a paid health check-up program, approximately one-third met both NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) and MAFLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease) criteria. All-cause mortality associated with NAFLD and/or MAFLD correlated with cardiometabolic factors, though the risk attenuated following multivariable adjustment. A high fibrosis-4 index score, suggestive of liver fibrosis, was predictive of increased mortality risk in FLD (fatty liver disease) cases.
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