Characteristics of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Its Risk for Hepatic Fibrosis in 476,124 Korean Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

As the new terminology of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and MASLD with increased alcohol intake (MetALD) has emerged, the clinical significance of MASLD is increasing. This cross-sectional study analyzed 476,124 health checkup participants (2002-2022) to compare hepatic fibrosis risks across MASLD, MetALD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Steatotic liver was identified via ultrasonography, and fibrosis risk was assessed using aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index and NAFLD fibrosis score. The prevalence of NAFLD, MAFLD, MASLD, and MetALD was 30.1%, 32.3%, 29.8%, and 3.0%, respectively, with a 27.9% overlap among three conditions. Participants with steatotic liver were predominantly male, with higher glucose, lipids, liver enzymes, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance levels. Three disease definitions largely overlapped, with MASLD and NAFLD being very similar, while participants with MAFLD and MetALD showed increased fibrosis risk (clinical trial registration number: 2024-11-050).