Prevalence of sarcopenia and cardiovascular alterations in a cohort of non-cirrhotic MAFLD patients

Abstract

Background and Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is defined by hepatic steatosis associated with metabolic comorbidities. The prevalence of Sarcopenia, predictor of cardiovascular damage (CVD), in early stages of liver diseases is still debated as is the prevalence of CVD in MAFLD. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) non-invasively diagnoses sarcopenia by skeletal muscle index (SMI). An increased in carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), the carotid plaques and the epicardial fat thickness (EFT) are validated markers of early CVD.