Association of Antihypertensive Medication and Steatotic Liver Disease with Liver Fibrosis and Mortality among US Adults
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Background
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a growing cause of morbidity and mortality, with cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death. Hypertension is a common comorbidity, yet the impact of antihypertensive medications on MASLD outcomes remains unclear. This study examines the associations between antihypertensive medication use, liver fibrosis, and mortality in MASLD patients.
Methods
We analyzed pooled data from NHANES (1999-2018) linked to National Death Index records. MASLD was defined using validated non-invasive indices (US-FLI, FLI, HSI), and liver fibrosis was assessed using FIB-4, APRI, NFS, and BARD scores. Cox proportional hazards models with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were used to evaluate the associations between antihypertensive medications (ACEIs, ARBs, β-blockers, CCBs, and diuretics) and clinical outcomes, with multiple sensitivity analyses conducted to assess the robustness of the findings.
Results
Among 19,603 participants (mean age 49.5 years, 52.5% female), antihypertensive use was associated with a significantly lower risk of liver fibrosis (FIB-4-defined) in MASLD (aHR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.04-0.78). ACEIs (aHR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.08-0.74) and ARBs (aHR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.06-0.86) were associated with lower all-cause mortality compared to CCBs.
Conclusion
ACEIs and ARBs were associated with reduced liver fibrosis and all-cause mortality in MASLD patients. These findings support further investigation into the potential role of renin-angiotensin system inhibition as a therapeutic strategy in MASLD.
