Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40866968›Full record

SynthesisBMC medicine2025

Effects of Mediterranean diet, exercise, and their combination on body composition and liver outcomes in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Vicente Artola Arita, Manuel Castro Cabezas, Juliana Alexandra Hernández Vargas, Silvia Juliana Trujillo-Cáceres, Nathalie Mendez Pernicone, Lara Anne Bridge, Hamidreza Raeisi-Dehkordi, Carmen A W Dietvorst, Ruben Dekker, Julieth Pilar Uriza-Pinzón and 10 more

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Processing Status, Rather Than Meat Source, Is Associated with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease Among US Adults.The Turkish journal of gastroenterology : the official journal of Turkish Society of Gastroenterology · 2026
    Article
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Vicente Artola AritaDepartment of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Manuel Castro CabezasDepartment of Internal Medicine, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Juliana Alexandra Hernández VargasDepartment of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Silvia Juliana Trujillo-CáceresDepartment of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Nathalie Mendez PerniconeDepartment of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Lara Anne BridgeDepartment of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Hamidreza Raeisi-DehkordiDepartment of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Carmen A W DietvorstDepartment of Internal Medicine, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Ruben DekkerDepartment of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Julieth Pilar Uriza-PinzónDepartment of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Mohamed TawfikNovo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark.
Kirsten A BerkDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Dietetics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Jo MassoelsEchosens, Paris, France.
Stan DriessenDepartment of Internal and Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Maarten E TushuizenLeiden University Medical Center, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Adriaan G HolleboomDepartment of Internal and Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Diederick E GrobbeeDepartment of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Oscar H Franco *Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Sara Beigrezaei *Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. S.Beigrezaei@umcutrecht.nl.
GRIPonMASH Consortium

Funding

Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking 101132946
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality. Lifestyle interventions like the Mediterranean diet (MD) and exercise are recommended for management, but the most effective lifestyle approach remains unclear.

methodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted in Embase, MEDLINE via Ovid, Cochrane Central, and Web of Science Core Collection from inception to April 1, 2025, without language restrictions. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adults with MASLD or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) assessing the MD and/or exercise interventions on anthropometric measures, liver enzymes, and indices or grades of liver steatosis and fibrosis. The mean difference and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled using a random-effects model. Risk of bias was assessed with ROB-2, and evidence certainty was evaluated using GRADE.

resultsFrom a total of 4806 search results, 37 unique RCTs met the inclusion criteria, from which 11 assessed the MD and 27 exercise, either aerobic, resistance, or in combination, and two RCTs assessed the effect of the MD and exercise combination. Meta-analyses showed that the MD in comparison with the control significantly reduced body weight [weighted mean difference (WMD = - 2.38 kg, 95% CI - 4.11 to - 0.66), body mass index (WMD = - 0.70 kg/m

conclusionsThe MD and aerobic exercise, whether alone or combined with resistance training, support weight loss and improve liver health in patients with MASLD/MASH. Standardized methods for measuring and reporting outcomes are essential to build robust evidence on the impact of lifestyle changes on clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration code. CRD42024577846.

Indexed as

Body CompositionDiet, MediterraneanExerciseFatty LiverHumansLiverRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicExerciseLifestyleMediterranean dietMeta-analysisMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitisMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseaseNon-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID40866968
PMCPMC12392582

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.