Smoking associated with risk of occurrence of fatty liver...14% higher than non-smokers

Jan 19, 2025

For the first time in Korea, a study has confirmed the relationship between smoking and the risk of occurrence between provinces.

Professor Lee Moon-hyung of the Department of Gastroenterology at Gangdong Kyunghee University Hospital (first author) published the results of a meta-analysis study combining large-scale cohort studies with Professor Myung Seung-kwon of the Department of Family Medicine at the National Cancer Center in the January 2025 issue of Gastroenterology Insights, an international journal of Gastroenterology.

Fatty liver is largely divided into alcoholic fatty liver and non-alcoholic fatty liver, and without proper treatment, it can worsen to liver lesions, liver failure, and liver cancer. Major risk factors for fatty liver include body mass index, saturated fat and fructose intake, type 2 diabetes, and alcohol consumption. However, until now, the relationship between smoking and the risk of occurrence between fat has not been clearly revealed.




The researchers conducted a meta-analysis by synthesizing the results of 20 large cohort studies finally selected through literature search in medical databases PubMed and EMBASE.

As a result, smokers showed a statistically significant 14% higher risk between fat compared to non-smokers. Regionally, the association was significantly confirmed in European studies, and in Asia, smoking, especially in men, was found to increase the risk of developing fatty liver.

Several have been suggested regarding the mechanism by which smoking increases the risk of fatty liver. Smoking activates substances that promote fat accumulation in hepatocytes, promotes non-alcoholic fatty liver by causing insulin resistance, and nicotine promotes fat decomposition, increasing fatty acids, which can be recycled to the liver and cause fatty liver.




Professor Lee Moon-hyung responded to the study by saying, `It is a meaningful study that confirms that smoking is an important risk factor between fat,' adding, `It should be recommended to quit smoking for prevention and management of fat"I explained the meaning of the study. However, regarding the link between smoking volume and fat, further research is needed in the future due to the lack of individual data, and research through the classification of other liver diseases such as metabolic alcoholic liver disease (MetALD), which has recently become increasingly important, is also a future task.

Smoking associated with risk of occurrence of fatty liver...14% higher than non-smokers
Professor Lee Moon-hyung (left) and Professor Myung Seung-kwon





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.