Study on Risk Factors and Prognosis of MASLD

Prior treatment

• Use of medications known to cause hepatic steatosis or steatohepatitis (e.g., amiodarone, methotrexate, systemic corticosteroids, tamoxifen) within a protocol-defined period, if judged to be the primary cause of steatosis.

Other illness

• Significant alcohol consumption exceeding protocol-defined thresholds. Known chronic liver diseases other than MASLD (including but not limited to chronic hepatitis B or C, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, Wilson's disease, hemochromatosis, or alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency).
• History of hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplantation, or other active malignancy (except adequately treated non-melanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ) that may interfere with follow-up.
• Decompensated liver disease at baseline (e.g., ascites, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy) if not intended to be included per protocol.
• Any serious medical condition or psychiatric disorder that, in the investigator's opinion, would make participation unsafe or interfere with study assessments or follow-up.

Other

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding at enrollment (if applicable to your protocol assessments).

• Age 20 to 90 years at enrollment. Able and willing to provide written informed consent. Willing and able to comply with study assessments and follow-up for up to 2 years.
• Availability of baseline clinical evaluation and laboratory tests required by the protocol.
• For the MASLD cohort: Evidence of hepatic steatosis at baseline (e.g., imaging and/or noninvasive assessment) in the presence of metabolic dysfunction, consistent with contemporary MASLD criteria, and without alternative causes of steatosis per protocol.
• For the Control cohort: No evidence of MASLD/ hepatic steatosis at baseline (based on available imaging and/or noninvasive assessment), recruited from the same source population.