Fatty liver disease associated with a higher risk of mortality due to many common diseases

A comprehensive study from the Karolin Institutet shows that people with fatty liver disease have almost twice the mortality rate in the general population. According to research, published in the study have an increased risk of death both because of liver disease and common diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

It is estimated that one in five people in Sweden has a fat liver disease known as Masld (metabolic disorders associated with liver disease associated with the liver), and globally it can be even one in four. The disease is caused by overweight or obesity and is characterized by excessive accumulation of fat in the liver, which can lead to severe liver damage and liver cancer.

Hidden health

Many people don’t realize that they have Fatty liver disease Because this rarely causes symptoms at earlier stages. Our study shows that MASLD diagnosed people have an increased risk of death from many different diseases, not just liver disease. “

Axel Wester, assistant professor, Faculty of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institute and doctor at the Karolinska University Hospital

Scientists identified all patients who were diagnosed with Masld in Sweden in the years 2002–2020, a total of over 13,000 patients and analyzed the risk of death for various reasons compared to the general population.

The overall mortality rate of people from Masld was almost twice as high. The risk has been increased for almost all the causes of death, but especially because of death due to liver disease (27 -deadly) and liver cancer (35 times higher mortality). However, the most common causes of death were cardiovascular diseases and cancer outside the liver, with mortality rates 54 and 47 percent, respectively.

Holistic approach

People from Masld also had an increased risk of death due to infection, gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory diseases, hormonal diseases or external causes, but not from mental illness.

“It is important that we not only focus on the liver during the treatment of patients with liver disease,” says Hannes Hagström, assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet and senior doctor at the University Hospital in Karolinska. “Holistic approach and early intervention including various medical specializations can be of key importance for improving the prognosis for these patients.”

The study was conducted by Hannes Hagström and Axel Wester, who share the last authorship, while Gabriel Issa, a medical student at the Karolinska Institute, is the first author. The research was financed by the Swedish research council, Swedish Cancer Society, Stockholm, Syskonen Svensson for Medical Research, Mag-Tarfonden, Bengt Ihre Foundation, Foundation Professor Nanna Svartz Foundation and Gastroenterological Research Fund Medicine). Hannes Hagström’s institutions received research funds from Astra Zeneca, Echosens, Gilead, Intercept, MSD and Pfizer. He was also a consultant for Astra Zeneca and was part of the liver events for Kowo, GW Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim and Arrowhead.