UEG's content platform for gastroenterology education bringing recordings, courses, guidelines, and more together in one place.

Re-live UEG Week 2026 on Gutflix Gut Guide online What's new on Gutflix

Trending on Gutflix

Rate for better recommendations!

Your feedback helps us show you more of what you like and less of what you dislike!

More of this!

We will show you more similar content.

Not for me!

We won't suggest this again.

Bookmark!

Save this content for later!

New to myUEG? Create an account! Log In with myUEG account

UEG Poster

Standard Poster

This content is part of Gutflix. Log in with your myUEG account, or create one free, to watch it.

Not sure what you can access? Learn more about account types.

PREVALENCE OF MASLD AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH THE CONSUMPTION OF SUGAR SWEETENED BEVERAGES AMONG A NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASE COHORT IN RURAL TANZANIA

VALENTIN CALVEZ 1, Francesca Schiavello 1, John Rehema Itambu 2, Paolo Belardi 2, Emmanuel Ndile 2, Noemi Bazzanini 2, Bruno Ndunguru 3, Antonio Liguori 1, Benjamin Mfaume 2, Katunzi Mutalemwa 2, Antonio Gasbarrini 4, Giovanni Putoto 5, Luca Miele 1

Affiliations

1 Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy

2 Tosamaganga Designated District Hospital, Iringa, Tanzania, United Republic of

3 Iringa District Council, Iringa, Tanzania, Iringa, Tanzania, United Republic of

4 Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli IRCCS, Università’ Cattolica, Rome, Italy

5 CUAMM - Doctors with Africa, Padua, Italy

Summary

AI Generated

Summary is not available for this content yet.

Download PDF

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback.

This summary was generated by an AI large language model based on the content transcript. It is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for clinical judgment. Always rely on your professional expertise and the full clinical context when making clinical decisions.

Abstract

Introduction

The global health community has increasingly shifted its focus toward non-communicable diseases (NCDs), recognizing them as a critical public health emergency, particularly pronounced in low and lower middle-income countries (LMICs)[1]. Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common liver disease with a worldwide prevalence of 30%[2], and represent the leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality. The prevalence, associated factors, and consequences of MASLD in the African continent, particularly in SSA, remain poorly understood. Indeed, no SSA studies were included in the latest major literature review and meta-analysis on the global epidemiology of MASLD[2].
Tanzania, like many other SSA countries, is undergoing a demographic and epidemiological transition, leading to a marked increase in the burden of NCDs [3].

Aims & Methods

The primary aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of MASLD among an NCDs population in rural Tanzania. Additionally, secondary objective was to investigate whether the consumption of sugary drinks is associated with MASLD.
This study entailed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected cohort of consecutive patients attending the NCDs outpatient clinic of Tosamaganga Hospital, from August 2022 to March 2023. Detailed sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory, and abdominal ultrasound data were collected for all participants. Additionally, the Beverage Intake Questionnaire (BEVQ-15) was administered to evaluate their everyday drinking behaviors; and for each item, the average daily intake in fluid ounces (fl-oz), and calories (kcal) were calculated.

Results

Of 183 patients enrolled in the cohort, 128/183 (70%) were female. The mean age was 58±13.7 years and mean BMI was 28±6.67 Kg/m². Hypertension affected 141 individuals (77.0%), diabetes affected 77 (42.1%), and both conditions co-occurred in 35 patients (19.1%). Steatotic liver disease was found in 88/183 (48%) patients; with 39/88 (44.3%) of moderate or severe steatosis. MASLD was identified in all steatotic patients. Overall, on average the participants drank a mean of 12.6 fl-oz of SSB (throght sodas). MASLD patients drank an average of 22.4 fl-oz of SSB per day. Multivariable analysis revealed that BMI and daily SSB consumption (fl-oz) exhibited significant associations with MASLD, with respective OR of 1.16 (95% CI: 1.06 – 1.28, p = 0.002) and 1.19 (95% CI: 1.12 – 1.27, p < 0.001).

	Univariable model OR (CI 95%)	P-value	Maultivariable model OR (CI 95%)	P-value
Gender male	0.50 (0.26 – 0.96)	0.039	1.28 (0.42 – 3.84)	0.663
Age (years)	1.02 (0.99 – 1.04)	0.087	0.92 (0.94 – 1.03)	0.422
BMI (Kg/m²)	1.24 (1.16 – 1.33)	<0.001	1.16 (1.06 – 1.28)	0.002
Hypertension (%)	2.53 (1.22 – 5.27)	0.013	1.01 (0.24 – 4.14)	0.994
Hemoglobin (g/dL)	1.40 (1.13 – 1.72)	0.002	1.51 (1.07 – 2.15)	0.020
Sartans	3.58 (1.81 – 7.10)	<0.001	1.63 (0.52 – 5.09)	0.404
Insulin	0.27 (0.08 – 0.63)	0.005	1.63 (0.28 – 9.39)	0.585
Water, daily (fl-oz)	0.99 (0.98 – 1.00)	0.018	0.99 (0.98 – 1.00)	0.150
Sugar-sweetened beverages, daily (fl-oz)	1.19 (1.13 – 1.26)	<0.001	1.19 (1.12 – 1.27)	< 0.001

Conclusion

This study unveils a considerable prevalence of MASLD among the rural Tanzanian NCDs population, affecting nearly half (48%) of all patients studied. Timely identification of MASLD, facilitated by straightforward diagnostic means, holds pivotal importance for patient management and the dissemination of vital lifestyle modification guidance. Furthermore, our study, one of the pioneering efforts to demonstrate a significant association between SSB consumption and MASLD in an African context, underscores the imperative to heighten awareness regarding the risks posed by SSB consumption among NCDs patients and potentially the wider population.

References

[1] Boutayeb A. The Burden of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases in Developing Countries. Handbook of Disease Burdens and Quality of Life Measures 2010:531–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-78665-0_32.
[2] Younossi ZM, Golabi P, Paik JM, Henry A, Van Dongen C, Henry L. The global epidemiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): a systematic review. Hepatology 2023;77:1335–47. https://doi.org/10.1097/HEP.0000000000000004.
[3] Gouda HN, Charlson F, Sorsdahl K, Ahmadzada S, Ferrari AJ, Erskine H, et al. Burden of non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, 1990-2017: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet Glob Health 2019;7:e1375–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30374-2.

Conference

UEG Week Vienna 2024

Topics

Hepatobiliary

Submission format

Abstract

Session

LIVER (Posters)

Citation

United European Gastroenterology Journal 2024; 12 (Supplement 8)

Published

2024

More Like This:

Coding the future: mRNA vaccines against gastrointestinal cancers

Mustafa Diken

Quality assurance indicators and requirements

Shawn Baldacchino

Guidelines recommendations

Cesare Hassan

TARGETED PLATELET INHIBITION OVERCOMES IMMUNOTHERAPY RESISTANCE IN LIVER CANCER

Mathias Heikenwälder

PREVALENCE OF MASLD AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH THE CONSUMPTION OF SUGAR SWEETENED BEVERAGES AMONG A NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASE COHORT IN RURAL TANZANIA

Luca Miele

THE GUT MICROBIOME IN OBESE CHILDREN WITH METABOLIC-ASSOCIATED STEATOTIC LIVER DISEASE DEPENDING ON THE GALLBLADDER FUNCTION

Oksana Petishko