Elevated uric acid linked with increased risk of MAFLD, review shows
Patients with the highest serum uric acid levels were 1.9 times more likely to develop metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) than those with the lowest levels, a meta-analysis of 61 studies with more than two million participants found.
High serum uric acid levels are associated with an increased risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), according to results of a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The meta-analysis included 61 studies (42 cross-sectional, 17 cohort, and two case-control) with a total of 2,151,925 participants. Most studies were carried out in China (n=46), followed by eight in South Korea, three in the United States, and one each in Japan, Italy, Pakistan, and Istanbul. All studies were of medium or high quality. Findings were published by the Journal of General Internal Medicine on Oct. 2.
Fifty-nine percent (95% CI, 50% to 69%) of patients with hyperuricemia had MAFLD . Participants with elevated uric acid levels had a pooled odds ratio of 1.90 (95% CI,1.77 to 2.04) for MAFLD compared with those who had lower levels. A consistent positive association between uric acid levels and MAFLD was seen in subgroup analyses based on study design, study quality, sample size, publication year, and geographic location. However, the association tended to be more significant in Asia than in Europe, the researchers found.
Limitations of the review include a high degree of heterogeneity in the studies, which may have stemmed from differing design, quality, sample size, and country. Included studies also had different criteria for uric acid classification, and some did not account for confounding factors like serum insulin levels and metabolic syndrome.
“This meta-analysis further confirmed the positive correlation between high SUA [serum uric acid] levels and the risk of MAFLD, suggesting that SUA may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for MAFLD,” the authors concluded.