ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is linked with an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Studies have suggested an association between the reduction of incident cardiovascular events in patients with MASLD after bariatric surgery. This systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to assess the influence of bariatric surgery on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with diagnosed MASLD by identifying all available cohort studies and pooling their data. METHODS: PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched till July 2023 for published studies that assessed the effect of bariatric surgery on cardiovascular outcomes in MASLD patients. Using a random effects model, hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled. RESULTS: The systematic review identified three cohort studies. The analysis of 240,516 MASLD patients found a significantly reduced incidence of cardiovascular events. (HR 0.51; 95 % CI 0.48 to 0.54, P value <0.00001). CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery in MASLD patients significantly reduced the incidence of cardiovascular events, suggesting that bariatric surgery is an effective therapeutic tool among MASLD patients compared to non-surgical interventions.
