Telomere length and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease risk and progression: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Current evidence suggests that shorter TL is a potential marker for MASLD risk, particularly supported by high-quality longitudinal data. While further quantitative analysis identified significant associations, the robustness of these results is compromised by the limited number of high-quality studies, alongside substantial heterogeneity and publication bias. Shorter TL may be associated with the adverse progression of MASLD. Future high-quality longitudinal studies are warranted to strengthen the body of evidence and establish their clinical utility.