Fibrosis screening prompts positive lifestyle shifts

Screening for liver fibrosis appears to spur lifestyle improvements especially among people who screened positive for the condition, according to a study.

A total of 1,850 individuals at risk of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and 2,946 individuals at risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) participated in a screening study for liver fibrosis. All participants received lifestyle advice.

Lifestyle changes were evaluated using questionnaires at two time points: 1 week and 6 months after the screening. Re-examination of lifestyle changes was conducted in a subgroup of participants after 2 years.

Of the participants, 383 (8 percent) screened positive for liver fibrosis (transient elastography ≥8 kPa). Overall, 84 percent of the participants responded to the 6-month questionnaire.

Data from the questionnaire showed that in the ALD group, excessive drinking decreased from 46 percent at baseline to 32 percent at 6 months. Only 15 percent of respondents reported increased drinking, without differences between those who screened positive and those who screened negative (p=0.698). Notably, among high-risk drinkers, a positive screening test was associated with abstinence or decreased alcohol use after 6 months (odds ratio [OR], 2.45, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.32–4.57; p=0.005).

At the 2-year follow-up, excessive drinking decreased from 52 percent to 41 percent in a subgroup of 752 individuals. A positive screening test remained predictive of abstinence or decreased alcohol use after 2 years (OR, 1.84, 95 percent CI, 1.09–3.11; p=0.023).

In the MASLD group, the participants showed similar improvements. Specifically, 35 percent of participants had better diet, 22 percent became more active, and 13 percent reported a weight loss of at least 5 percent after 6 months.