Abstract
INTRODUCTION: To examine the association of the number of controlled risk factors with the excess risk of severe metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and major adverse liver outcomes (MALO) among patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In this cohort study, a total of 307,688 participants from the UK Biobank were included. Participants with baseline type 2 diabetes were categorized according to the number of risk factors within the guideline-recommended ranges (diet, smoking, drinking, exercise, sedentary behavior, body mass index, glycated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). RESULTS: During a median (IQR) of 12.5 (11.8-13.2) years of follow-up, 519 (3.9%) participants with type 2 diabetes and 2718 (0.9%) participants without diabetes developed severe MASLD. Patients with type 2 diabetes had an increased risk of severe MASLD compared with participants without diabetes (HR 3.93, 95% CI 3.56 to 4.33), but the excess risk decreased stepwise with an increasing number of risk factors on target (HR (95% CI) for zero to two controlled risk factors: 5.44 (4.09 to 7.25); three controlled risk factors: 4.47 (3.59 to 5.57); four controlled risk factors: 4.16 (3.49 to 4.96); five controlled risk factors: 3.91 (3.28 to 4.66); six controlled risk factors: 3.50 (2.80 to 4.38); seven to nine controlled risk factors: 2.61 (1.92 to 3.56)). Similar patterns were observed in the analysis of MALO. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with type 2 diabetes who had more controlled risk factors showed progressively lower excess risk of severe MASLD and MALO. Comprehensive interventions targeting multiple risk factors may be associated with reduced liver lesions in patients with type 2 diabetes.