Association of lean metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease with carotid plaque progression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Introduction: We aimed to investigate whether lean metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is associated with the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Materials and methods: We investigated 828 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who underwent baseline abdominal and carotid artery ultrasonography, followed by repeat carotid ultrasonography after 6-8 years. MASLD was confirmed by abdominal ultrasonography, and lean body mass was defined as a body mass index <23 kg/m². Carotid atherosclerosis progression was defined as the appearance of new carotid plaque lesions on repeat ultrasonography. The association between lean MASLD, non-lean MASLD, and the progression of carotid atherosclerosis was investigated.

Results: Among the 828 patients, 57 (6.9%), 197 (23.8%), 397 (47.9%), and 177 (21.4%) were classified as lean MASLD, lean without MASLD, non-lean MASLD, and non-lean without MASLD, respectively. After 6-8 years, both lean MASLD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.57; P = 0.005) and non-lean MASLD (aOR, 1.59; P = 0.029) had a higher risk of atherosclerosis progression than controls (lean without MASLD). No significant difference was observed in the risk of atherosclerosis progression between the lean and non-lean MASLD groups.

Discussion: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, both lean and non-lean MASLD were significantly associated with an increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis progression compared to those who were lean without MASLD. This suggests that evaluation of liver steatosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, regardless of body weight, may help identify individuals at high risk for carotid atherosclerosis progression.