Publications by authors named "Laurens A van Kleef"

Background & Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is becoming increasingly prevalent in the general population. This study aimed at describing the cardiometabolic burden of the MASLD population and to identify patients at the highest risk of all-cause mortality and liver fibrosis.

Methods: We analysed individuals with MASLD enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) III study (N = 3,628) and in the NHANES 2017-2020 study (n = 2,618).

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Background: Obesity can result in persistent metabolic changes despite weight loss, which may affect liver health. We aimed to investigate associations between young adulthood obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), at-risk steatohepatitis and increased liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in a general population setting.

Methods: We studied NHANES 2017-2020 community-dwelling participants aged > 40 years with BMI ≥ 18.

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Article Synopsis
  • There is a growing need for noninvasive tests to help primary care physicians identify patients at high risk for liver disease, leading to the development of the MAF-5 score.
  • The MAF-5 score was created from a study of 21,797 individuals with metabolic dysfunction and is based on factors such as waist circumference, body mass index, diabetes, and specific blood tests.
  • MAF-5 demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy compared to existing scores, particularly in predicting fibrosis and assessing liver stiffness, making it a promising tool for clinical use.
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Accumulating evidence shows that NAFLD might play a role in the etiology and progression of CVD, but little is known on the association of NAFLD and CVD mortality in patients with a history of a myocardial infarction (MI). Therefore, we studied the relationship of Fatty Liver Index (FLI), as indicator for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with 12-year risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in post-MI patients. We included 4165 Dutch patients from the Alpha Omega Cohort aged 60-80 years who had an MI ≤10 years prior to study enrolment.

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Objectives: Spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) provides a non-invasive surrogate marker for clinical significant portal hypertension (CSPH). Results obtained in highly selected populations were promising but require validation across the spectrum of liver disease. We aimed to investigate the clinical applicability of SSM in a real-world setting.

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Background: Noninvasive tests are important in the initial risk stratification of people at risk of fibrosis. The recently developed steatosis-associated fibrosis estimator (SAFE) score may have such potential but awaits external validation.

Methods: We analyzed 6973 participants aged 18-80 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2020 cycle with data on liver stiffness and SAFE score without prevalent heart failure.

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Background & Aims: Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are at increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and (liver-related) mortality. In addition to hepatitis B-related factors, metabolic comorbidities may contribute to the progression of fibrosis. Therefore, we studied the association between metabolic comorbidities and adverse clinical outcomes in patients with CHB.

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Background: Elevated liver stiffness reflects hepatic fibrosis but can also be secondary to venous congestion. We aimed to study the association between liver stiffness and mortality in the general population, stratified for heart failure and/or coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods: We analysed individuals enrolled in the ongoing prospective population-based Rotterdam Study who attended a visit between 2009-2014 that included liver stiffness measurement.

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Background And Aims: Fatty liver disease (FLD) is caused by excess fat in the liver, and its global prevalence exceeds 33%. The role of protein expression on the pathogenesis of FLD and accompanied fibrosis and its potential as a disease biomarker is currently not clear. Hence, we aimed to identify plasma proteomics associated with FLD and fibrosis using population-based data.

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Background: Statin use could benefit patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but the evidence is segmented and inconclusive. This multidimensional study comprehensively investigated the potential benefits and mechanism-of-action of statins in NAFLD.

Methods: A cross-sectional investigation was performed within the Rotterdam Study (general population; n = 4.

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Fatty liver disease was not associated with Parkinsonism or Parkinson's disease in an elderly European population, the Rotterdam Study, (n = 8.848), neither in men nor women. Results were consistent either using non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or metabolic-dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) as exposure defined by either fatty liver index (FLI) or ultrasound.

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Article Synopsis
  • Doctors studied how well patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) followed treatment guidelines in a country with low cases of the disease.
  • They looked at medical records from 482 patients and found that most of those who needed antiviral therapy got the right treatment, but not everyone was monitored properly.
  • Clinics that focused only on viral hepatitis helped patients stick to the guidelines better than general clinics.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, is a multistep process that usually develops in the background of cirrhosis, but also in a non-cirrhotic state in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or viral hepatis. Emerging evidence suggests that intermittent fasting can reduce the risk of cancer development and could improve response and tolerance to treatment through the metabolic and hormonal adaptations induced by the low energy availability that finally impairs cancer cells' adaptability, survival and growth. The current review will outline the beneficial effects of fasting in NAFLD/NASH patients and the possible mechanisms that can prevent HCC development, including circadian clock re-synchronization, with a special focus on the possibility of applying this dietary intervention to cirrhotic patients.

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