Publications

Journal Article Review Epublish

PubMed: 41822266 DOI: 10.3389/fgstr.2025.1699508

The global landscape of lean metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: insight from Asia and the West.

Front Gastroenterol (Lausanne) 4:1699508

Authors: Hery Djagat Purnomo, Randy Adiwinata, Cecilia Oktaria Permatadewi, Hesti Triwahyu Hutami, Didik Indiarso

Affiliations

  • Division of Gastroentero-Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dr Kariadi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia.

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has emerged as a leading global cause of chronic liver disease, affecting 25-30% of the population. While MASLD is traditionally associated with obesity, lean MASLD-a subset characterized by hepatic steatosis and metabolic dysfunction in individuals with a normal body mass index (BMI)-is increasingly recognized as a distinct clinical entity. Lean MASLD accounts for approximately 5.1% of the global population and is more prevalent in Asia, where genetic predispositions such as PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 polymorphisms, visceral obesity, and high-carbohydrate dietary patterns are key risk factors. Lean MASLD is also associated with significant liver and non-liver complications, as well as increased all-cause mortality risk. Therefore, lean MASLD may pose a significant challenge for practitioners.

MeSH

Liver Diseases, Liver, Polymorphism, Genetic, Obesity, Fatty Liver