IMPACT OF CARDIOMETABOLIC DISORDERS ON THE DIAGNOSIS OF METABOLIC ASSOCIATED FATTY LIVER DISEASE (MAFLD) AMONG HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS: A 5-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF NIS DATABASE BETWEEN 2016-2020.

Therapeutic Area

ASCVD/CVD Risk Factors

Background

Cardiometabolic disorders are health conditions that are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events and sudden cardiac death in the US. However, only a few studies explored these health conditions on the increasing trend of MAFLD. This study aims to explore the impact of cardiometabolic disorders among patients diagnosed with MAFLD in US hospitals.

Methods

We used the NIS data of 2016-2020 period for this cross-sectional study. Our main outcome was MAFLD while predictors were cardiometabolic syndrome (hypertension, diabetes, CKD, dyslipidemia, obesity) with co-variates (race, age, sex). We did descriptive analysis, bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions to identify potential predictors associated with MAFLD.

Results

A total of 252,254,979 hospitalized patients were analyzed of which 112,375 patients were hospitalized with principal diagnosis of MAFLD/NAFLD. MAFLD were predominantly diagnosed in females (61.3%), individuals over 45 years (89.4%), white (78.4%), those with obesity (66.2%), without dyslipidemia (55.1%), with metabolic syndrome (98.8%), hypertension (66.2%), diabetes (80.4%) and chronic kidney disease (67.7%). Patients with obesity were two-fold likely to be diagnosed with MAFLD compared to patients with normal BMI. (aOR= 2.319 [95%CI 2.223-2.419], p<.0001). Conversely patients with dyslipidemia were less likely to be diagnosed with MAFLD than those without dyslipidemia. (0.903 [0.870-0.936], p<.0001). Patients with metabolic syndrome were four-fold likely to be diagnosed with MAFLD compared with non-metabolic syndrome patients. (4.353 [3.583-5.289], p<.0001). Patients with hypertension had a marginal likelihood to be diagnosed with MAFLD compared to non-hypertensive patients. (1.044 [1.003-1.086], p=0.0348). Patients with diabetes or CKD were two-fold likely to be diagnosed with MAFLD compared with non-diabetic and non-CKD patients respectively. (2.439 [2.345-2.536], p<.0001), (2.305 [2.206-2.409], p<.0001). Patient of Hispanic descent were more likely to have MAFLD compared with patients of white descents. (1.169 [1.082-1.264], p<.0001), while patients from black and Asian descent were less likely to have MAFLD respectively. (0.235 [0.219-0.251], p<.0001), (0.651 [0.585-0.724], p<.0001)

Conclusions

The results of this study contribute to the body of knowledge on the risk and pattern of MAFLD among patients with cardiometabolic disorders, emphasizing the complex interplay between sociodemographic and clinical factors. This further informs lifestyle modification, early detection and treatment of cardiometabolic disorders as preventive strategy for MAFLD.