Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 7, 2025; 31(29): 109202
Published online Aug 7, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i29.109202
Table 1 Demographics and clinical characteristics of the analysis population by metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease status, n (%)

Entire cohort, N = 1005
Non-SLD, N = 562
MASLD, N = 443
P value
Age, years55 ± 12.354 ± 13.156 ± 11.10.005
Gender0.02
Male683 (68)389 (69)294 (67)
Female274 (27)138 (25)136 (31)
Transgender/gender diverse48 (5.1)35 (7)13 (3.2)
Race/ethnicity< 0.001
Non-Hispanic White351 (35)179 (32)172 (39)
Non-Hispanic Black527 (52)329 (59)198 (45)
Hispanic127 (13)54 (10)73 (17)
Education: High school or above844 (84)476 (85)368 (83)0.01
Married/long-term partner216 (21.5)122 (22)94 (21)0.7
Food insecurity 333 (33)199 (35)134 (30)0.09
Area deprivation index55.8 (30.5)53.5 (31.3)58.7 (29.1)0.001
Body mass index, kg/m2< 0.01
< 25232 (23)202 (36)30 (7)
25-29.9357 (36)216 (38)141 (32)
≥ 30416 (41)144 (26)272 (61)
Waist circumference, cm99.5 ± 1692.9 ± 13107.7 ± 15< 0.01
Elevated waist circumference589 (59)324 (58)265 (60)0.55
Hypertension751 (74.7)399 (71.0)352 (79.5)< 0.001
Dysglycemia581 (57.8)274 (48.8)307 (69.3)< 0.01
Dyslipidemia710 (71)342 (61)368 (83)< 0.001
Current smoker226 (23)161 (29)65 (15)< 0.01
Obstructive sleep apnea< 0.01
Never779 (78)458 (81)321 (72)
Treated142 (14)52 (9)90 (20)
Symptomatic, not treated84 (8)52 (9)32 (7)
HIV-related characteristics
Living with HIV, years20.6 ± 10.520.5 ± 10.820.7 ± 10.00.7
CD4+ T-cell count675 (516, 917)672 (497, 907)686 (539, 931)0.3
Antiretroviral therapy
NRTI885 (88)485 (86)400 (90)0.07
NNRTI201 (20)116 (21)85 (19)0.6
Efavirenz23 (2)9 (2)14 (3)0.1
PI124 (12)66 (12)58 (13)0.6
INSTI867 (86)486 (87)381 (86)0.9
Laboratory
Total cholesterol, mmol/L4.5 ± 1.14.4 ± 1.14.5 ± 1.00.1
Triglycerides, mmol/L1.56 ± 1.391.28 ± 0.71.9 ± 1.8< 0.01
LDL cholesterol, mmol/L2.6 ± 0.92.5 ± 0.92.7 ± 1.00.07
HDL cholesterol, mmol/L1.3 ± 0.41.3 ± 0.41.2 (0.4< 0.01
ALT, U/L 27 ± 2224 ± 1932 ± 24< 0.01
AST, U/L27 ± 1725 ± 1728 ± 180.01
Alkaline phosphatase, U/L79 ± 2977 ± 2782 ± 300.01
Bilirubin, direct, μmol/L3.08 ± 1.73.25 ± 1.72.91 ± 1.370.06
Bilirubin, total, μmol/L10.4 ± 8.610.6 ± 8.510.1 ± 8.60.1
Albumin, mmol/L0.6 ± 0.060.6 ± 0.060.6 ± 0.060.8
Platelet count/μL242901 ± 71174240215 ± 70614246303 ± 718130.1
Creatinine, μg/L97.3 ± 79106.1 ± 7997.3 ± 790.7
Serum glucose, mmol/L5.6 ± 1.95.3 ± 1.46.1 ± 2.3< 0.01
HbA1c, mmol/mol40 ± 138 ± 143 ± 1< 0.01
Vibration-controlled transient elastography
CAP, dB/m253 (214, 298)218 (191, 240)305 (281, 337)< 0.01
LSM, kPa5.0 (4.1-6.5)4.8 (3.9-6.1)5.3 (4.3-6.9)< 0.01
LSM ≥ 8 kPa 135 (13)49 (9)86 (19)< 0.01
LSM ≥ 12 kPa38 (4)12 (2)26 (6)0.001