Assessment of cognitive function in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

Abstract

Background. Since the relationship between the initial stage of steatotic liver disease and dementia and cognitive function (CF) remains undetermined, there is a need to study such a combination. The aim is to evaluate CF in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Materials and methods. Thirty-nine outpatients with chronic forms of coronary heart disease were examined: 26 made up the main group with concomitant MASLD and 13 patients were included in the control group with an intact liver. In all of them, CF was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Results. The CF according to the MMSE was lower in patients with MASLD than among those with an intact liver (25.27 vs 28.22; p < 0.01). Mild cognitive disorders were diagnosed in 7.69 %, moderate — in 65.38 %, and severe — in 26.93 % of patients with MASLD. In total, the frequency of deterioration of CF (MMSE ≤ 27) among patients with an intact liver was 33.33 %, while it was significantly higher (92.31 %) in patients with concomitant MASLD (p < 0.05). Conclusions. CF can be an important criterion of the state of health and its changes, determines the course of the disease, allows assessing the activity of the endogenous intoxication syndrome and the state of the cardiovascular system. Impairment of cognitive functions occurs already at the stage of liver steatosis, which should be taken into account in the clinic.