Study: Smoking increases death risk 17-fold for fatty liver patients who drink

A study led by Professor Jang Young of Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital has revealed that patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and those with MetALD (MASLD combined with significant alcohol consumption) face significantly higher mortality risks than the general population.

Analyzing 7,783 adults from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the research found that MetALD patients have a 2.1-fold higher overall mortality risk. For those with MASLD and MetALD, the risk of cancer death was 2.6 and 3.4 times higher, respectively, compared to healthy individuals.

The most striking finding indicates that for patients with MetALD, smoking increases the overall risk of death by 17.1 times. Additionally, high-risk alcohol consumption was linked to a 7.8-fold increase in cancer mortality compared to lower consumption levels.

The study also noted that metabolic syndrome factors like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes increase cardiovascular death risk by 1.8 times for each additional factor. Specifically, the presence of hypertension increased cardiovascular death risk by 5.5 times. Professor Jang emphasized the necessity of smoking cessation and alcohol abstinence for MetALD patients, alongside early management of metabolic conditions for others.