MASLD Identified as Osteoarthritis Risk Marker in US Adults

The rate of osteoporosis is higher in US adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) than in those without MASLD, according to a study published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.  

MASLD was formerly called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

“Given the current pandemic of NAFLD and osteoarthritis, clinicians should screen for NAFLD in arthritis patients and intervene early,” advised a research team from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

The cross-sectional study focused on 2622 participants in the 2017–2018 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Among them, 1140 had MASLD per a vibration-controlled transient elastography assessment conducted in a mobile examination center, and 317 had self-reported osteoarthritis.

The analysis of NHANES participants found a significant association between MASLD and osteoarthritis without adjustment for covariates (researchers reported a 2.05 odds ratio). After adjustment for sex, age, race, smoking status, and metabolic syndrome, the association remained stable and significant (1.72 odds ratio).

The association of MASLD with osteoarthritis was consistent in subgroups stratified by age and metabolic syndrome. In subgroups stratified by sex, obesity, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) category, a statistically significant link was found only for females, patients without obesity, and patients without hyper hs-CRP.

“These results conclude that NAFLD is an independent risk marker for osteoarthritis, suggesting that further evaluation of the underlying mechanism between NAFLD and increased risk of osteoarthritis is deserved,” researchers wrote.

Reference

Lu Y, Zhang J, Li H, Li T. Association of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with self-reported osteoarthritis among the US adults. Arthritis Res Ther. 2024;26(1):40. doi:10.1186/s13075-024-03272-2