Longevity & AgingChildhood Fatty Liver Disease Drives Premature Death and Lifelong Metabolic Risk
The LIVERS study followed 1,096 children diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) for a mean of 8.5 years. Overall, 3.4% died — a mortality rate of 398 per 100,000 person-years — with nearly half of deaths being liver-related. Male sex and low HDL cholesterol independently predicted death risk. Beyond mortality, cirrhosis developed in 4.7% of children. Extrahepatic conditions emerged at striking rates: dyslipidemia at 3,664 per 100,000 person-years, hypertension at 1,901, obstructive sleep apnea at 1,185, and type 2 diabetes at 911. These findings establish pediatric MASLD as a serious long-term health threat requiring early screening and sustained clinical management.
