Sex differences in the association between total energy intake and all-cause mortality among patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
摘要
The long-term association between total energy intake and clinical outcomes in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) remains unclear. The present study aimed to explore the associations between total energy intake and mortality in MASLD patients and to evaluate whether the associations differ by sex. A total of 2,466 MASLD patients from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was included. Total energy intake was assessed using 24-hour dietary recall. Mortality was ascertained by linkage to National Death Index records through 31 December 2019. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the association between total energy intake and mortality. In MASLD patients, both low and high total energy intake were significantly associated with elevated risk of all-cause mortality. Compared with moderate total energy intake (2,000–3,000 kcal/day for males and 1,600–2,400 kcal/day for females), the HRs (95% CIs) for low and high total energy intake were 1.27 (1.05–1.53; P = 0.01) and 1.40 (1.03–1.92; P = 0.03), respectively. A significant interaction was demonstrated between sex and total energy intake for all-cause mortality (P value for interaction = 0.03). In males, both low and high total energy intake were significantly associated with elevated risk of all-cause mortality. The HRs (95% CIs) for low and high total energy intake were 1.35 (1.02–1.80; P = 0.04) and 1.54 (1.05–2.28; P = 0.03), respectively. However, no significant association was observed in females. The HRs (95% CIs) for low and high total energy intake were 1.14 (0.86–1.52; P = 0.34) and 1.14 (0.81–1.61; P = 0.46), respectively. These findings provide novel evidence supporting sex-specific dietary guidelines for MASLD, with particular emphasis on maintaining moderate energy intake to mitigate mortality risk in male patients.