Joint effects of sleep disturbance and renal function impairment on incident new-onset severe metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

Abstract

Aim: To elucidate the effects of sleep parameters and renal function on the risk of developing new-onset severe metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Materials and methods: The primary analysis involved a cohort of 305 257 participants. Multivariable Cox models were employed to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Traditional mediation and two-step Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted to assess the associations and mediating roles of renal function indicators between sleep and new-onset severe MASLD.

Results: Poor sleep score and renal function biomarker score (RFS) were associated with an increased risk of new-onset severe MASLD (all p_trend <0.001). Participants with poor sleep patterns and the highest RFS had a 5.45-fold higher risk of new-onset severe MASLD, compared to those with healthy sleep patterns and the lowest RFS (p < 0.001). The RFS could explain 10.08% of the correlations between poor sleep score and risk of new-onset severe MASLD. Additionally, MR analyses supported a causal link between insomnia and new-onset severe MASLD and revealed a mediating role of chronic kidney disease in the connection between insomnia and new-onset severe MASLD risk.

Conclusions: This study highlights the independent and combined associations of sleep parameters and renal function indicators with new-onset severe MASLD, underscoring the bidirectional communication of the liver-kidney axis and providing modifiable strategies for preventing MASLD.

Keywords: Mendelian randomization; metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease; renal function; sleep.