Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41819603›Full record

ArticleOpen heart2026

Association of Life's Simple 7 with metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease and non-invasive fibrosis markers.

Hannah Hofer, Sarah Wernly, Georg Semmler, Maria Flamm, Andreas Völkerer, Franz Singhartinger, Christian Jung, Ralf Erkens, Mathias Ausserwinkler, Elmar Aigner and 2 more

Abstract read
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Article in Open heart, 2026. 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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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Hannah HoferDepartment of Internal Medicine, Saint John of God Hospital, Salzburg, Austria.ORCID 0009-0007-8839-0523
Sarah WernlyDepartment of Internal Medicine, General Hospital Oberndorf, Salzburg, Austria.
Georg SemmlerDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Maria FlammInstitute of General Practice, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
Andreas VölkererDepartment of Internal Medicine, General Hospital Oberndorf, Salzburg, Austria.
Franz SinghartingerDepartment of Surgery, Salzburger Landeskliniken Universitätsklinikum Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.ORCID 0000-0003-1149-7633
Christian JungDepartment of Cardiology, Pulmonology and Vascular Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Ralf ErkensDepartment of Cardiology, Pulmonology and Vascular Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Mathias AusserwinklerClinic I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
Elmar AignerClinic I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
Christian DatzDepartment of Internal Medicine, General Hospital Oberndorf, Salzburg, Austria.
Bernhard WernlyClinic I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria bernhard@wernly.net.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMetabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a prevalent chronic liver disease affecting approximately a third of the global population. Early identification is critical for timely intervention, yet effective screening tools remain limited. The American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (LS7), originally developed to assess cardiovascular health, captures several metabolic domains that overlap with the diagnostic criteria of MASLD. Consequently, observed associations between LS7 and MASLD are expected to partly reflect shared metabolic components rather than independent risk prediction.

methodsWe analysed data from 3204 participants undergoing screening colonoscopy in the Salzburg Colon Cancer Prevention Initiative (Sakkopi). LS7 was derived from seven modifiable lifestyle factors (smoking, body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, physical activity and diet). MASLD was assessed using abdominal ultrasonography, while liver fibrosis was evaluated through non-invasive markers (Aspartate Aminotransferase to Platelet Ratio Index and transient elastography). Poisson regression with robust SEs was used to estimate risk ratios (RRs) for MASLD and liver fibrosis across LS7 categories (poor: 0-4, intermediate: 5-9, ideal: 10-14), adjusting for age, sex and socioeconomic status.

resultsMASLD prevalence was highest in individuals with poor LS7 (82%) compared with those with intermediate (47%) and ideal (16%) scores. Higher LS7 was significantly associated with a lower risk of MASLD (RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.79 to 0.82; p<0.001) and liver fibrosis after adjustment for confounders.

conclusionLS7 showed a strong association with MASLD and hepatic steatosis, while associations with non-invasive fibrosis markers were weaker and marker-dependent, underscoring the close interplay between cardiometabolic health and liver disease. Future studies should evaluate whether changes in LS7 over time are associated with longitudinal changes in hepatic steatosis and fibrosis-related outcomes.

Indexed as

Fatty LiverLiver CirrhosisNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseAgedBiomarkersElasticity Imaging TechniquesFemaleHumansLife StyleMaleMiddle AgedPredictive Value of TestsPrevalenceRisk AssessmentRisk FactorsBiomarkersCardiac RehabilitationEpidemiologyGlobal Burden of DiseaseGlobal Health

Identifiers

PMID41819603
PMCPMC12983770

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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.