Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40855535›Full record

ArticleBMC gastroenterology2025

MAFLD outperforms NAFLD in identifying metabolic dysfunction in U.S. adolescents: a NHANES 2017-2020 analysis.

Yigui Zou, Yu Dai, Hu Chen, Ziyuan Li, Baixian Lin, Zeling Zhuang, Wenwen Li, Qinghua Yang, Dongling Dai

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC gastroenterology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Yigui ZouInternational Medical Center, Endoscopy Center and Gastroenterology Department, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China.
Yu DaiChildren's Healthcare and Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China.
Hu ChenInternational Medical Center, Endoscopy Center and Gastroenterology Department, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China.
Ziyuan LiInternational Medical Center, Endoscopy Center and Gastroenterology Department, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China.
Baixian LinInternational Medical Center, Endoscopy Center and Gastroenterology Department, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China.
Zeling ZhuangInternational Medical Center, Endoscopy Center and Gastroenterology Department, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China.
Wenwen LiInternational Medical Center, Endoscopy Center and Gastroenterology Department, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China.
Qinghua YangInternational Medical Center, Endoscopy Center and Gastroenterology Department, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China.
Dongling DaiInternational Medical Center, Endoscopy Center and Gastroenterology Department, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China. daidong3529@sina.com.

Funding

Guangdong High-level Hospital Construction Fund of Shenzhen Children's Hospital for Basic Research and Clinical Research JCYJ20211004，LCYJ2022059Shenzhen Medical Research Fund C2401020Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Program JCYJ20220818102801004
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe newly proposed metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) definition better reflects the metabolic pathogenesis shared with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), though with incomplete diagnostic overlap; this study systematically compares their prevalence and risk profiles in U.S. adolescents to inform optimal clinical management strategies.

methodsThis cross-sectional study analyzed participants with complete survey data from the 2017-2020 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), identifying and comparing 532 MAFLD cases and 527 NAFLD cases through comprehensive prevalence assessment, detailed clinical characterization, regression for variable selection, and multivariate logistic regression analysis of independent risk factor associations.

resultsMAFLD prevalence was 22.8% (95%CI:18.8-26.8) vs. NAFLD's 25.8% (21.5-30.0). MAFLD cases demonstrated significantly greater metabolic severity, evidenced by elevated BMI (31.49 ± 6.63 vs 21.70 ± 4.18 kg/m

conclusionThis study demonstrates that while MAFLD and NAFLD share obesity as a core risk factor, MAFLD more specifically identifies adolescents with severe metabolic dysfunction and provides superior risk stratification. The stronger metabolic dysfunction associations and greater model complexity support MAFLD's clinical utility for early intervention in high-risk youth populations.

Indexed as

Fatty LiverNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseAdolescentBody Mass IndexCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansInsulin ResistanceMaleNutrition SurveysPrevalenceRisk FactorsUnited StatesAdolescentInsulin resistanceMetabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver diseaseNHANESNon-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseObesityTransient elastography

Identifiers

PMID40855535
PMCPMC12379354

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