Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41085551›Full record

ArticleHepatology communications2025

Physical activity and advanced fibrosis in MASLD, MetALD, and ALD in a nationally representative cohort: NHANES 2017-2020.

Nicholas Dunn, Wanyu Zhang, Hanna L Blaney, Luis Antonio Diaz, Arpan Patel, Robert J Wong, Juan Pablo Arab, Zobair Younossi, Craig McClain, Maiying Kong and 1 more

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Article in Hepatology communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–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

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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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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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

11 authors.

Nicholas DunnPembroke Hill School, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
Wanyu ZhangDepartment of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Hanna L BlaneyDivision of GI and Hepatology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Luis Antonio DiazDivision of GI and Hepatology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
Arpan PatelDivision of GI and Hepatology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Robert J WongDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA.
Juan Pablo ArabDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Zobair YounossiThe Global NASH/MASH Council, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Craig McClainDepartment of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Maiying KongDepartment of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Ashwani K SingalDepartment of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIt is unclear whether physical activity (PA) and advanced fibrosis are associated in alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD). We examined the association between work-related PA (WPA) or leisure-time PA (LTPA) and advanced fibrosis across the steatotic liver disease (SLD) spectrum.

methodsData obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2017-2020) in adults with hepatic steatosis were included and categorized into MASLD (n=2236), MetALD (n=1355), and ALD (n=457) based on alcohol use. PA was quantified as metabolic equivalent (MET)-minutes per week, and ≥600 MET-min/wk was used as the threshold for high activity. Adjusted logistic regression models for confounders (sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, metabolic risk factors, and etiology of SLD) were used to analyze the relationship of PA types with at-risk advanced fibrosis, according to an Agile 3+ score ≥0.45.

resultsAmong 4342 SLD participants, LTPA was strongly linked to a lower risk of at-risk advanced fibrosis in MASLD (OR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.34-0.93), as well as MetALD and ALD combined (OR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.34-0.89). WPA was not associated with improved advanced fibrosis. There were no interactions between WPA and SLD subtypes (p=0.98), and between LTPA and SLD subtypes (p=0.55).

conclusionsLTPA but not WPA is protective for at-risk advanced fibrosis in patients with MASLD and MetALD. These findings showcase the importance of structured LTPA interventions to mitigate fibrosis risk in SLD. Larger studies are needed to examine the benefits of PA in patients with ALD and to delineate exercise prescriptions for patients with SLD.

Indexed as

ExerciseFatty LiverLiver CirrhosisLiver Diseases, AlcoholicAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLeisure ActivitiesMaleMiddle AgedNutrition SurveysRisk FactorsUnited StatesALDcirrhosisMASLDMetALDsteatosis

Identifiers

PMID41085551
PMCPMC12520209

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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.