Comparative mortality outcomes in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease subtypes in the United States

Abstract

Background In 2023, experts from the European and American regions proposed the concepts of steatotic liver disease (SLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). MASLD was proposed as a replacement for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We compared the long-term outcomes of patients with MASLD, NAFLD, and various subtypes of SLD. Methods We conducted a retrospective study using the NHANESIII database. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality among patients with subtypes of SLD, MASLD, and NAFLD. Results During a follow-up period of 31 years (median 25 years), the adjusted risks of all-cause death for patients with MASLD was 1.19 (95% CI 1.06–1.34; P  = 0.006) vs . the non-SLD group. There was a moderate level of consistency between MASLD and NAFLD (Cohen’s kappa coefficient of 0.62545). Advanced fibrosis was the most serious risk factor for all-cause mortality in MASLD, and high C-reactive protein concentration was the most serious risk factor for all-cause mortality in NAFLD, followed by type 2 diabetes. Conclusions MASLD is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality, and this association is independent of patients’ demographic or metabolic characteristics, despite a relatively small hazard ratio. Our research findings further support that MASLD is a pathological disease related to liver disease itself. Therefore, redefining NAFLD as MASLD may help improve our understanding of predictive factors that increase the risk of death.