Research Article: Prevalence and steatosis severity of MASLD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Kuwait
Abstract:
Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a common comorbidity in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Given the high prevalence of T2DM in Kuwait and limited regional data on hepatic steatosis, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of liver steatosis among T2DM patients attending Dasman Diabetes Institute (DDI).
A total of 267 T2DM patients (mean age, 53.2 ± 9.8 years; 67.4% men and 32.6% women) were evaluated using vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE; FibroScan) to determine liver steatosis through controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) scores. MASLD was classified based on CAP thresholds: S0 (<238 dB/m), S1 (238–259 dB/m), S2 (260–290 dB/m), and S3 (>290 dB/m). Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) was used to estimate fibrosis severity.
Hepatic steatosis (S1–S3) was present in 72.7% (n = 194) of participants, with 40.8% (n = 109) exhibiting severe steatosis (S3), 20.6% (n = 55) moderate steatosis (S2), and 11.2% (n = 30) mild steatosis (S1). Minimal or no fibrosis (F0–F1) was present in 92.5% (n = 247), while moderate fibrosis (F2) was present in 4.1% (n=11), and advanced fibrosis (F3–F4) was identified in 3.4% (n = 9) of the cohort. CAP scores showed significant positive associations with BMI (? = 0.32, p < 0.001), waist circumference (? = 0.200, p = 0.001), triglycerides (? = 0.310, p < 0.001), ALT (? = 0.325, p < 0.001), AST (? = 0.197, p = 0.002), and GGT (? = 0.203, p = 0.001), while an inverse correlation was observed with HDL-C (? = ?0.19, p = 0.003). In multivariable linear regression analyses, CAP score remained independently associated with BMI, ALT, and LSM. Conversely, LSM was associated significantly with CAP score, BMI, ALT, AST, and GGT.
In this studied Kuwaiti cohort, MASLD was present in over 70% of adults with T2DM, with a substantial subset exhibiting advanced steatosis. The severity of both steatosis and fibrosis showed significant associations with metabolic and hepatic biomarkers, reinforcing their pathophysiological linkage. These findings support the integration of standardized liver disease risk stratification into routine diabetes care, particularly in populations at elevated cardiometabolic risk.
Introduction:
Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a common comorbidity in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Given the high prevalence of T2DM in Kuwait and limited regional data on hepatic steatosis, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of liver steatosis among T2DM patients attending Dasman Diabetes Institute (DDI).
Read more