Health Data Sci. 2026 Oct 19;6:0416. doi: 10.34133/hds.0416. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
Background: Limited evidence exists regarding the association of cardiovascular health (CVH) with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in Chinese adults, and the influence of genetic risk on this association remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate these associations and discern potential variations based on genetic risk. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 17,077 participants from the third resurvey of the China Kadoorie Biobank. CVH was evaluated by Life's Essential 8 (LE8), with the overall score (0 to 100) calculated as the unweighted average of its 8 component scores and categorized as low (0 to 49), moderate (50 to 79), or high (80 to 100). Polygenic risk score (PRS) for MASLD was generated by meta-analytic approach and large genome-wide association data of liver steatosis and related traits. Genetic risk for MASLD was categorized into low, intermediate, and high based on quintile of metaPRS. The multivariable logistic regression model was used to evaluate the associations of CVH with MASLD and advanced fibrosis in MASLD, subsequently stratified by metaPRS. Results: High CVH was associated with over 90% lower risk of MASLD and advanced fibrosis in MASLD, with odds ratios of 0.07 (0.06 to 0.08) and 0.04 (0.02 to 0.05) compared to low CVH, respectively. Interactions of metaPRS were observed for the impacts of LE8 on both prevalent MASLD and advanced fibrosis in MASLD (P value for interaction <0.02 and <0.001, respectively), with stronger protective associations among individuals with higher genetic risk. Similar findings were observed when we tentatively expanded LE8 to Life's Crucial 9 (LC9), incorporating the psychological health component. Conclusion: In Chinese adults, adhering to a high CVH was associated with lower odds of prevalent MASLD and advanced fibrosis in MASLD, particularly among individuals at high genetic risk.
PMID:42898713 | PMC:PMC13678080 | DOI:10.34133/hds.0416