More than one-third of people around the world have a liver disease called MASLD, or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.
This is the most common long-term liver disease today.
It happens when fat builds up in the liver and is linked to conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and low levels of “good” cholesterol, known as HDL.
These health problems are called cardiometabolic risk factors because they affect the heart and metabolism.
MASLD can lead to very serious illnesses, including damage to the liver, heart, and kidneys. But until now, doctors didn’t know which of these risk factors were most dangerous for people who already have MASLD.
Now, new research from Keck Medicine of USC has discovered that three risk factors are especially deadly for people with MASLD.
These are high blood pressure, diabetes or pre-diabetes, and low HDL cholesterol. High blood pressure increases the risk of death by 40%, diabetes or pre-diabetes by 25%, and low HDL by 15%.
The most surprising finding was that high blood pressure turned out to be even more dangerous than diabetes. This goes against what many doctors believed before, as diabetes was thought to be the biggest concern.
The research was led by Dr. Matthew Dukewich and Dr. Norah Terrault, and published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Another important discovery was about obesity. Although obesity is very common in people with MASLD, the study found that the risk of death increases as a person’s BMI (Body Mass Index) goes up. This means the heavier someone is, the more likely they are to have serious health issues.
The study also showed that the more risk factors a person has, the worse their chances of survival. For each added risk factor, the risk of death goes up by 15%. These findings did not change based on gender, age, race, or ethnicity.
To do the study, researchers used data from a large national health survey in the United States called NHANES. This survey collected health information from over 134,000 people from 1988 to 2018. Out of these, about 21,000 had MASLD.
Doctors say these findings are important because they help focus attention on the areas of greatest risk. Instead of treating all risk factors the same, doctors can now pay extra attention to high blood pressure, diabetes, and low HDL. That way, they can offer better care to patients.
The researchers hope to continue their studies by looking at how a person’s genes, diet, and alcohol use affect their risk. By learning more, they hope to help doctors target treatments more effectively and save more lives.
The study is published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
