Female Sex is Protective Against MASLD With Clinically Significant Fibrosis in a Large Cross-sectional Cohort of Persons With HIV - Summary - MDSpire

Female Sex is Protective Against MASLD With Clinically Significant Fibrosis in a Large Cross-sectional Cohort of Persons With HIV

  • By

  • Kara Wegermann

  • Ayako Suzuki

  • Elisa Sarmiento

  • LaKeisha Boyd

  • Yang Li

  • Laura A Wilson

  • Audrey Lloyd

  • Paula Debroy

  • Jennifer C Price

  • Tinsay Woreta

  • Holly Crandall

  • Richard K Sterling

  • Rohit Loomba

  • Naga Chalasani

  • Jordan E Lake

  • October 14, 2025

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To discover the prevalence and severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in persons living with HIV (PWH) by sex assigned at birth and to investigate the impact of menopausal status.

Key Findings:
  • Women had a lower prevalence of MASLD-CSF than men (5.5% vs 10.6%, P = .02).
  • Diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and waist circumference above sex-specific cutoffs were associated with higher odds of MASLD-CSF.
  • Female sex was associated with lower odds of MASLD-CSF (OR 0.43 [0.23–0.81], P = .01).
Interpretation:

The study indicates that sex assigned at birth significantly influences the risk of MASLD with CSF in PWH, with men showing higher prevalence and specific risk factors.

Limitations:
  • The study did not account for menopause status in men, which may limit the understanding of risk factors across genders.
  • Further studies are needed to include younger women and explore the impact of menopause more comprehensively.
Conclusion:

Female sex appears protective against MASLD-CSF in PWH, highlighting the need for targeted screening and monitoring in high-risk male populations.

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