A dynamic association between myosteatosis and liver stiffness: Results from a prospective interventional study in obese patients

Background & Aims: Retrospective cross-sectional studies linked sarcopenia and myosteatosis with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Here, we wanted to clarify the dynamic relationship between sarcopenia, myosteatosis, and MAFLD. Methods: A cohort of 48 obese patients was randomised for a dietary intervention consisting of 16 g/day of inulin (prebiotic) or maltodextrin (placebo) supplementation. Before and after the intervention, we evaluated liver steatosis and stiffness with transient elastography (TE); we assessed skeletal muscle index (SMI) and skeletal muscle fat index (SMFI) (a surrogate for absolute fat content in muscle) using computed tomography (CT) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Results: At baseline, sarcopenia was uncommon in patients with MAFLD (4/48, 8.3%). SMFI was higher in patients with high liver stiffness than in those with low liver stiffness (640.6 ± 114.3 cm2/ Hounsfield unit [HU] vs. 507.9 ± 103.0 cm2/HU, p = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, SMFI was robustly associated with liver stiffness even when adjusted for multiple confounders (binary logistic regression, p