83-OR: Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Have Similar Clinical Profiles and Mortality

Abstract

Introduction & Objective: Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has recently replaced the term nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Concern remains whether evidence generated under NAFLD definition is fully applicable to MASLD. We compared the clinical profile and outcomes of NAFLD to MASLD using population-based data. Methods: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III) with the linked Mortality file (through 2019) were used to compare groups defined as NAFLD and MASLD. Hazard ratios (HRs) of MASLD/NAFLD on all-cause mortality were calculated by cox-regression models. Results: Among 2,736 NHANES participants with NAFLD (age 47.80 years, 52.48% male, 47.66% obese, 18.26% T2D, 94.71% ≥ 1 cardiometabolic criteria), only 5.29% patients did not meet MASLD criteria. The clinical profile of MASLD was similar except for age (48.56 years) and presence of cardiometabolic risks (50.32% obese, 19.28% T2D, 100% ≥ 1 cardiometabolic criteria). There was excellent concordance between NAFLD and MASLD definitions (Cohen’s kappa coefficient=0.968 [95% CI: 0.962-0.973]). After a median follow-up of 22.83 years, there were no mortality rate differences between MASLD and NAFLD (p-values ≥ 0.05). Adjusting for socio-demographic factors, lack of healthy eating and physical activity, MASLD had a higher all-cause mortality risk (Hazard Ratio (HR)=1.15 [1.05-1.25]). However, after further adjustment for cardiometabolic risks, MASLD was not associated with increased all-cause mortality (p-value>0.80). Conclusions: NAFLD and MASLD are similar except MASLD subjects are older with slightly higher mortality risk, potentially due to the inclusion of cardiometabolic risk factors. These data provide evidence that NAFLD and MASLD can be used interchangeably. Disclosure Z. Younossi: Consultant; Gilead Sciences, Inc., Bainan Biotech, AbbVie Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Abbott, Novo Nordisk, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. J.M. Paik: None. P. Golabi: None. J. Ong: None. L. Henry: None. S. Alqahtani: Consultant; AbbVie Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Merck & Co., Inc., Gilead Sciences, Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. F. Nader: None.