Prevalence of Metabolic-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Patients With Primary Aldosteronism

Abstract

Objective

To assess the prevalence of metabolic associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) compared to benign adrenal adenomas, and to evaluate the impact of hormonal excess in inducing MASLD.

Design

Single-centre retrospective study.

Methods

Hepatic steatosis was assessed by liver/spleen (L/S) ratio from unenhanced abdomen computed tomography images (reference value < 1.1) in a cohort of 41 patients with PA without cortisol cosecretion, 20 unilateral (uPA) and 21 bilateral (BPA), 50 with nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas (NF-AI), 48 with mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) and 10 with adrenal Cushing Syndrome (CS).

Results

Hepatic steatosis was increased in patients with PA at diagnosis: L/S ratio was lower in PA than NF-AI (1.1 vs. 1.25, p < 0.001) and MACS (1.1 vs. 1.21, p 0.007), but was similar to adrenal CS (1.1 vs. 1.15, p = 0.147). A improvement in L/S ratio after medical or surgical treatment was observed in PA patients, resulting in reduced liver steatosis. MASLD prevalence was higher in PA compared to MACS (49% vs. 25%, p < 0.05) and NF-AI (49% vs. 14%, p < 0.001), but similar to CS (49% vs. 45%, p = 0.61). uPA patients had higher MASLD prevalence compared to BPA group 71% (53%–89%) versus 25% (7%–43%).

Conclusions

Prevalence of MASLD was increased in PA (higher in uPA than BPA) compared to MACS and NFAI, and similar to adrenal CS.