Work

Association of 25‐Hydroxyvitamin D With Metabolic Dysfunction‐Associated Fatty Liver Disease: Results From NHANES 2017–2018

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background: The association of vitamin D with metabolic dysfunction‐associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) remained unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationships of total 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D, the sum of 25(OH)D 2 and 25(OH)D 3 ], 25(OH)D 3 , and epi‐25(OH)D 3 with MAFLD. Methods: We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of the 2017–2018 cycle for our present analysis. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the associations of total 25(OH)D, 25(OH)D 3 , and epi‐25(OH)D 3 with MAFLD after adjusting for confounders. Interaction tests were conducted to compare the association between 25(OH)D and MAFLD in subgroups. Results: The final analysis included 4605 subjects. After adjustment for confounders, the odds of MAFLD decreased with increasing concentrations of total 25(OH)D (odds ratio [OR], 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29–0.68; p for trend < 0.001). Serum 25(OH)D 3 showed a strong inverse association with MAFLD (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.25–0.59; p for trend < 0.001). In addition, participants with lower epi‐25(OH)D 3 levels had a higher likelihood of MAFLD, as demonstrated in both quartile and continuous models (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60–0.99; p = 0.041). After stratification by lipid status, inverse associations of total 25(OH)D and 25(OH)D 3 with MAFLD were found only in dyslipidemic participants ( p for interaction < 0.001). A sex‐specific interaction was also noted for 25(OH)D 3 , showing stronger effects in women than in men ( p = 0.036). Conclusions: Low serum total 25(OH)D, 25(OH)D 3 , and epi‐25(OH)D 3 were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of MAFLD. These associations showed nonlinear patterns and were particularly evident among participants with dyslipidemia, with 25(OH)D 3 demonstrating stronger protective effects in women than in men. Given the cross‐sectional design, causality cannot be inferred, and further prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.

Source: International Journal of Endocrinology

DOI: 10.1155/ije/1368301