Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a range of conditions, from fatty liver to cirrhosis. In response to evolving research and to better reflect the complex metabolic underpinnings, the term metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been proposed. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality between NAFLD and MAFLD patients. The present study was conducted following the Preferred Reporting of Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Web of Science to identify studies that compared cardiovascular outcomes in MAFLD and NAFLD from inception to July 31, 2023. Outcomes assessed in this meta-analysis included all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cardiovascular events. A total of 11 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The risk of cardiovascular mortality was significantly higher in patients with MAFLD patients compared to NAFLD patients (risk ratio (RR): 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11 to 1.98). The risk of all-cause mortality was higher in MAFLD patients compared to NAFLD, and the difference was statistically significant (RR: 2.80, 95% CI: 2.39 to 3.28). The risk of cardiovascular events was significantly higher in MAFLD patients compared to NAFLD (RR: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.86 to 1.61). The key findings underscore that individuals diagnosed with MAFLD face a notably higher risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cardiovascular events when compared to those with NAFLD.

Muhammad Usama is an Internal Medicine Year Trainee, currently working at Sherwood forest hospitals, Nottingham under the East Midlands Deanery. He has a special interest in gastroenterology and is actively involved in Gastro and HPB research.