The impact of fasting on cardiovascular risk control in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Introduction: Optimal control of cardiovascular risk factors remains challenging in non-classical patient groups, including those with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Dietary restrictions are among the interventions that may be helpful in such cases. Aim: To evaluate if the declared type of fasting influences the most common cardiovascular risk factor control in patients with MASLD. Material and methods: Body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and basic blood parameters representative for control of cardiovascular risk factors were assessed in participants before and after self-declared fasting during Lent. Participants were divided into 2 groups. Group A declared an intensive fast for 40 days (avoiding alcohol consumption, meat, sweets, snacks, and sweetened drinks), while group B fasted only on Good Friday. The study consisted of 210 adults with MASLD, who were at a mean age of 56.0 ±6.6 years, and 148 (70.5%) were male. Results: After 40 days of fasting, in group A (104 participants) a beneficial decrease in almost all parameters was observed, whereas in group B (106 participants) no differences were noted. Moreover, in group B there was a slight increase in the HbA Conclusions: Fasting can significantly impact cardiometabolic health measures as part of complex lifestyle modification, thus playing a role in cardiovascular prevention in patients with MASLD.