Alcohol Intake, Cardiometabolic Risk, Fibrosis, and Gut Microbiota in Steatotic Liver Disease: A Population-Based Health Checkup Study.

Background

The real-world risk profiles of newly defined steatotic liver disease (SLD) subtypes-MASLD, MetALD, and ALD-remain incompletely described in community settings.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis of 950 health-checkup participants was conducted. SLD (CAP ≥ 248 dB/m) and significant fibrosis (LSM ≥ 7.0 kPa) were evaluated by transient elastography. Associations between alcohol intake, cardiometabolic factors, fibrosis, and gut microbiota (16S rRNA sequencing) were assessed.

Results

Among 950 participants, 310 (33%) had SLD (MASLD, n = 222; MetALD, n = 41; ALD, n = 23). Treated as a continuous exposure, higher alcohol intake was significantly correlated with elevated systolic/diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, AST, and γ-GTP, but inversely correlated with HOMA-IR (all p < 0.05). In multivariable logistic regression adjusting for cardiometabolic factors, BMI was the only independent predictor of fibrosis (adjusted OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.11-1.35, p < 0.01), whereas alcohol intake showed no independent association. Furthermore, microbiota analysis revealed that ALD-related SLD was characterized by significant depletion of Blautia and enrichment of Gemella (FDR q < 0.05) compared to non-SLD controls, indicating an alcohol-associated dysbiosis signature.

Conclusions

In early-stage SLD, alcohol intake continuously exacerbates cardiometabolic risk factors, whereas fibrosis is predominantly driven by BMI. These findings support quantitative alcohol/BMI integration for risk stratification, alongside microbiota profiling to detect ALD-related dysbiosis.