ArticleHepatology international2026
Association between depression and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a cross-sectional analysis from the paracelsus 10,000 Study.
Article in Hepatology international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- A cardiometabolic risk phenotype index integrating insulin resistance, systemic inflammation, and psychological burden for mortality risk stratification in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: an exploratory longitudinal analysis of a nationally representative cohort.Lipids in health and disease · 2026Article
- Subtyping metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease using electronic health record-linked genomic cohorts reveals diverse etiologies and progression.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Trajectories of Frailty and Depression and Their Associations with the Risk of Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Findings from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study and Validation of Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Methodological considerations in linking depression to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: insights for future study design.Hepatology international · 2026Article
- Integrating mental health into MASLD prevention.Hepatology international · 2026Article
- Quantifying depression in MASLD: A methodological reflection.Hepatology international · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsDepression is linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome, but its independent association with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) remains unclear. We examined the association between depressive symptoms and MASLD, independent of other risk factors.
methodsWe analyzed cross-sectional data from 7433 participants of the Paracelsus 10,000 study. Depression (BDI-II > 13) and MASLD (FLI ≥ 60 plus ≥ 1 cardiometabolic risk factor) were assessed. Associations were examined using Poisson and linear regression models adjusted for demographics, lifestyle factors, metabolic syndrome, and antidepressant use. Subgroup and interaction analyses explored effect modification.
resultsMASLD was more prevalent in participants with depressive symptoms than those without (37% vs. 27%, p < 0.01). Depressive symptoms were independently associated with MASLD (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.13-1.39, p < 0.01), with consistent findings using continuous BDI-II scores. The association remained robust across subgroups defined by age, metabolic syndrome, education, smoking status, and antidepressant use. No significant differences were observed in fibrosis markers (APRI and FIB-4).
conclusionIn this large, population-based cross-sectional study, depressive symptoms were found to be associated with MASLD, independent of metabolic risk factors and antidepressant use. However, given the observational design and limited detail on antidepressant type, dose, indication, and adherence, the findings should be interpreted with caution and do not support causal conclusions. Nevertheless, findings suggest that mental health considerations may be relevant in MASLD screening and prevention strategies. Further research is needed to explore whether and how antidepressant therapy may relate to liver health.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.