One-year follow-up of short-term dietary intervention for MASLD: sustained improvements in steatosis, weight and dietary intake.

Abstract

Background: Dietary interventions promoting weight loss are central to managing Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). While short-term benefits of various diets on liver health are well-documented, their long-term effects remain unclear. This study reports one-year follow-up results from a randomized controlled trial of a 12-week diet intervention.

Method: The RCT involved 74 individuals with MASLD, with 64 completing the intervention. One year later, 47 were contacted for follow-up, and 28 attended. Due to restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, 17 were could not be included in the one-year follow-up. Liver health was assessed using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and vibration-controlled transient elastography at baseline, 12 weeks, and one-year post-intervention. Dietary habits were evaluated via a food frequency questionnaire and three-day food diary.

Results: One-year post-trial, sustained improvements were observed in key parameters. Compared to baseline, body mass index (30.2 kg/m² [95%CI = 28.4-31.7] vs. 31.5 kg/m² [95%CI = 30.4-32.3], p < 0.001), steatosis (6.8% [95%CI = 3.2-10.5] vs. 10.9% [95%CI = 8.2-16.1], p < 0.001), and liver stiffness (5.5 kPa [95%CI = 4.2-6.0] vs. 6.7 [95%CI = 5.2-9.2], p = 0.001), were significantly reduced. Self-reported dietary habits indicated lower total energy intake, sustained changes in carbohydrate intake, and healthier dietary fat composition one year after baseline. However, the overall dietary quality index showed no long-term improvement.

Conclusion: Short-term dietary interventions yielded significant, sustained improvements in liver health and dietary behaviours after one year. These findings underscore the potential of structured diet programs in MASLD management.

Clinical trial number: Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03118310).