A team of scientists has identified the surprising trio of lethal factors that drives deaths in the world’s most common liver disease. And even more surprisingly, the most fatal of the trio of “silent killers” is not diabetes – but hypertension.
Steathetic liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction (MASLD) affects more than 1/3 of the world population and is associated with serious health problems.
A new study now reveals that the hypertension, a diabetes and the bass colesterol HDL It is the most deadly cardiometabolic risk factors for patients with MASLD, and hypertension has been even more dangerous than diabetes.
The conclusions also show that the obesity and body mass index (BMI) significantly influence mortality and that each additional risk factor increases danger cumulatively.
MASLD occurs when liver fat accumulation is accumulated and is associated with one or more than five conditions: Obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperglycemia and low HDL cholesterol, known as the “good” cholesterol. These conditions are classified as cardiometabolic risk factors, because they affect the heart and metabolism.
Masild can evolve to serious illnesses, as advanced, cardiac or kidney pathologies. However, so far, there has been little investigation to analyze whether certain cardiometabolic risk factors are more associated with mortality than others in Patients with MASLD, note o.
More lethal risk factors
The new, developed by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) and recently published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatologyreveals that the three cardiometabolic risk factors linked to the highest risk of death in patients with MASLD (hypertension, pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, and low HDL) increase the risk of death by 40%, 25% and 15%respectively.
These results remain regardless of the number or combination of cardiometabolic risk factors present, as well as sex, gender, race or ethnic origin of the participants.
“MASLD is a complex diseaseand this study sheds new light on where doctors can concentrate their efforts on the treatment of patients, ”says Norah TerraultUSC hepatologist and main author of the study.
“Understanding the aspects of MASLD that can lead to worst outcomes helps us offer the best possible care to our patients,” adds the researcher.
The investigators were particularly surprised when finding out that hypertension is associated with a higher probability of death than diabetes, explained Matthew Dukewich, hepatologist and main researcher of the study.
“Until now, Diabetes was thought to be the most worrying problem For patients with MASLD – this is a very relevant conclusion, ”he added.
The study also demonstrated that obesitythe most common cardiometabolic risk factor in MASLD can substantially increase the risk Mortality depending on the patient’s body mass index (BMI) – an indicator that estimates the percentage of body fat based on height and weight. The higher the BMI, greater association with mortality.
In addition, the investigation reinforces the evidence that patients with more cardiometabolic risk factorspresent worse clinical results. The study concluded that the risk of death among people with MASLD increases 15% for each additional cardiometabolic risk factor present.
