Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a leading cause of hepatic fibrosis, yet its prevalence in asymptomatic populations remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of steatosis and significant fibrosis in asymptomatic individuals without known liver disease in the Greater Vancouver Area.
Methods
Interested individuals voluntarily registered online via the Canadian Liver Foundation website or by telephone. Inclusion criteria included age ≥ 19 years, no known liver disease, and low alcohol intake (<30 g/day for men, <20 g/day for women). Demographic and clinical data were collected, and all participants underwent transient elastography after a 3-h fast. The study aimed to collect 4,500 analyzable scans while reflecting the region's ethnic diversity.
Results
A total of 4,193 participants were analyzed. The median age was 62 years, the median body mass index was 25.4, and 45% were male. Asian individuals comprised 42% of the cohort. Steatosis was present in 59.6% of participants, and 45.7% met diagnostic criteria for MASLD. Significant fibrosis (F2–F4) was found in 8.6%. Age, male sex, ethnicity, cardiac disease, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity were significantly associated with fibrosis. Logistic regression analysis confirmed age, weight, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity as independent predictors.
Conclusions
A substantial proportion of asymptomatic individuals in Greater Vancouver have undetected MASLD and significant fibrosis. Early identification of high-risk groups may support broader implementation of transient elastography screening. This study provides one of the first North American population-based estimates of MASLD and fibrosis stratified by ethnicity, offering new insights into liver disease distribution among Caucasian, Chinese, and South Asian populations.
Full text
https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2310-8819/JCTH-2025-00109
The study was recently published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology .
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