Nomenclature Dilemma of Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD): Considerable Proportions of MAFLD Are Metabolic Healthy.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The purpose of this study was to investigate the proportion of subjects with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and to assess the degree of hepatic fibrosis and cardiovascular risk in metabolically healthy MAFLD subjects.

METHODS

A total of 6740 subjects who underwent both magnetic resonance elastography and abdominal ultrasound were included in this study. Significant (≥3.0 kPa) and advanced (≥3.6 kPa) hepatic fibrosis were evaluated by magnetic resonance elastography. The metabolic unhealthy status among subjects with MAFLD was defined as the presence of diabetes or 2 or more metabolic risk abnormalities.

RESULTS

The prevalence of MAFLD among the health examination cohort was 44.5% (3002 of 6740). A total of 26.6% (800 of 3002) of MAFLD subjects were metabolically healthy (≤1 risk factors and no diabetes), and 56.3% of MAFLD subjects (1691 of 3002) did not have metabolic syndrome. Hepatic fibrosis burden and cardiovascular risk were significantly higher in the metabolic unhealthy MAFLD group than in the healthy control group. However, the prevalence of significant (5.8% vs 4.3%; P = .099) and advanced hepatic fibrosis (0.8% vs 0.7%; P = .934) did not differ between the metabolically healthy MAFLD and healthy control groups. The prevalence of carotid artery plaque in the metabolically healthy MAFLD (32.7% vs 30.7%; P = .453) group was not different from that in the healthy control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrary to the definition of MAFLD, a non-negligible number of metabolically healthy individuals are included in the MAFLD group. The metabolic healthy MAFLD group showed a comparable fibrosis burden and prevalence of carotid artery plaque compared with the healthy control group.