Baseline and dynamic MAF-5 score to predict liver fibrosis and liver-related events in general population with MASLD

Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a precursor to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), is the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide.1 The prevalence of MASLD in the general population is over 30%.2,3 It is at risk of progressing to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver-related mortality. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved resmetirom for the treatment of MASH with liver fibrosis.3 Hence, early detection of liver fibrosis in the MASLD population is essential for risk stratification, precision management, and the prediction of future liver-related events (LREs). Recently, Lin et al1 demonstrated that liver stiffness measurement (LSM)–based scores can predict LREs among patients with MASLD from tertiary care settings. However, patients with MASLD are predominantly from primary care institutions, where the availability of LSM is limited by cost and manpower.4,5 We aimed to investigate baseline and dynamic noninvasive methods appropriate for identifying the risk of liver fibrosis and LREs in the general population with MASLD.