Age-related diagnostic and deficiency features patients with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease
Background: Due to the growing elderly population and persistent nutritional misconceptions, the prevalence of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is rising. This condition can further worsen the geriatric health status of affected individuals. However, age-related diagnostic and deficiency features of MAFLD are currently insufficiently studied and contradictory. The aim of the study:An analysis of age-related diagnostic and deficiency features of patients with MAFLD. Materials and methods: The clinical study included 25 patients with MAFLD aged 45-59 years, 40 patients with MAFLD aged 60-74 years, and 20 people with the same disease aged 75 years and older. All patient age groups underwent a standardized evaluation protocol, including ultrasound examination, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), liver and spleen elastometry, measurement of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and platelet levels, assessment of esophageal varices severity, and calculation of body mass index (BMI).The assessment of the deficiency status was performed using a special computer program with the identification of anxiety syndromes, depression, sarcopenia, senile preasthenia and cognitive impairment. The Statistica 10.0 program and the Correlation Analysis module were used for statistical processing. Results: The greatest differences in the studied diagnostic parameters were shown between mature and elderly patients, with the greatest and statistically significant excess of all parameters in patients aged 60-74 years with MAFLD relative to individuals aged 45-59 years, with the exception of the level of platelets in the blood, the content of which was lower in patients aged 60-74 years (182.6±8.1 x109/l) than in mature age – 205.4±7.3 x109/l (p<0.01). Among elderly patients, the degree of esophageal varices is 3.6 times higher, reaching 1.8±0.1 versus 0.5±0.2 (p<0.01), and the liver stiffness index is also significantly higher – 18.2±2.1 kPa versus 9.4±1.5 kPa (p<0.01), the aspartate aminotransferase content in the blood is 89.3±4.0 U/l versus 56.9±2.7 U/l (p<0.01), respectively. Less significant differences between these age groups were found in the spleen stiffness index and body mass index. Between elderly and senile patients with MAFLD, the differences were less pronounced than between the previous groups, but, as between patients 45-59 years old and 60-74 years old, the greatest differences were in the level of aspartate aminotransferase and esophageal varices. The deficiency status of elderly patients with MAFLD is characterized by subclinical depression (9.2±0.2 points), and in elderly individuals by clinically expressed depression (12.4±0.4 points) (p<0.05), moderate cognitive impairment (26.4±0.4 points) and mild dementia (22.6±0.3 points, p<0.05), senile preasthenia syndrome in 12.5±2.1% and 35.0±2.9% (p<0.001), sarcopenia in 22.5±1.8% and 30.0±2.4%, respectively (p<0.05). Conclusion: The age-related features of CKD include increased levels of esophageal varicose veins, blood levels of aspartate aminotransferase, liver stiffness, and decreased levels of platelets in the blood. Senile patients with CKD have higher levels of depression, cognitive impairment, and the prevalence of senile preasthenia gravis compared to the elderly group with CKD. These parameters should be used as the leading diagnostic criteria for CKD in elderly and senile patients
Klyaritskaya IL, Bondar KG. Age-related diagnostic and deficiency features patients with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease. Research Results in Biomedicine. 2026;12(1):139-153. Russian.
DOI: 10.18413/2658-6533-2026-12-1-0-9
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