Wong R, Yuan LY. Sarcopenia and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease: Time to address both. World J Hepatol 2024; 16(6): 871-877 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i6.871]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Rochelle Wong, MD, Doctor, Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, 1510 San Pablo St. HC1-Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States. rochellewong15@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Hepatol. Jun 27, 2024; 16(6): 871-877 Published online Jun 27, 2024. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i6.871
Sarcopenia and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease: Time to address both
Rochelle Wong, Li-Yun Yuan
Rochelle Wong, Li-Yun Yuan, Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States
Author contributions: Wong R performed the literature review and wrote the manuscript; Yuan LY reviewed and revised the manuscript; and all authors have read and approved of the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Rochelle Wong, MD, Doctor, Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, 1510 San Pablo St. HC1-Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States. rochellewong15@gmail.com
Received: February 17, 2024 Revised: April 23, 2024 Accepted: April 29, 2024 Published online: June 27, 2024 Processing time: 123 Days and 19.1 Hours
Abstract
Sarcopenia and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are closely intertwined. Sarcopenia, traditionally a disease of the older adult and chronic disease population, has been closely studied as one of the pathophysiologic conditions at play in the development of MASLD. They share similar risk factors of insulin resistance and physical inactivity. Given similar pathophysiology along the liver-muscle axis, sarcopenia has been studied as a risk factor for MASLD, and vice versa. Current research suggests a bidirectional relationship. Given the chronicity of MASLD as a chronic inflammatory liver disease, it can break down muscle mass and lead to sarcopenia, while sarcopenia promotes intramuscular lipid accumulation that releases cytokines that can aggravate inflammation in the liver. However, for the longest time, a lack of consensus definition for MASLD and sarcopenia made it difficult to study their relationship and outcomes. A recent nomenclature update to diagnosing MASLD has made it easier for researchers to identify cohorts for study. However, no gold standard technique to measure muscle mass or consensus sarcopenia definition has been identified yet. Future studies are needed to reach a consensus and reduce diagnostic variation. With similar pathophysiology and shared risk factors between the two diseases, future research may also identify potential therapeutic targets along the liver-muscle axis that would benefit both sarcopenia and MASLD in order to maximize their outcomes.
Core Tip: Sarcopenia and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) share a bidirectional relationship along the liver-muscle axis. With similar pathophysiology and shared risk factors, MASLD is a risk factor for sarcopenia, and vice versa. Early identification and adequate diagnosis are important. However, lack of consensus definition made it difficult to research outcomes. With the recently updated consensus definition for MASLD, researchers may now better identify proper cohorts for study. Consensus on gold standard techniques and muscle mass cutoffs to define sarcopenia are still needed. Future research may identify potential therapeutic targets along the shared liver-muscle axis that would improve outcomes for both sarcopenia and MASLD.
