Abstract Data from current literature have suggested a positive association between Steatotic Liver Disease (SLD) and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). In 2023, a consensus of experts suggested that the term metabolic associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) be used instead of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a term that had long been used to indicate the situation of hepatic steatosis not related to alcohol consumption or secondary to another etiology. The majority of hepatologists accepted this suggestion. To critically analyze this described association and compare the impact of change in criteria, we performed a systematic review followed by meta-analysis of incidence studies that evaluated the occurrence of new cases of CKD in patients diagnosed with NAFLD and MAFLD/MASLD. We searched the PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, and Cochrane Library databases for longitudinal studies published through June 2025 that included groups with NAFLD, MAFLD, and/or MASLD, as well as a control group, in the adult population without CKD at baseline. Among 2,099 studies found, twenty met the inclusion criteria. Compared to the patient’s control group, the risk ratio (RR) for incidence of CKD in the group with MAFLD, MASLD, and NAFLD was 1.29 (1.18–1.40), 1.16 (1.12–1.19) and 1.25 (1.14–1.36), respectively. In a new analysis grouping MASLD with MAFLD to assess the impact of the terminology shift, the results remained similar. This review demonstrates that SLD is associated with the risk of developing CKD, regardless of classification. However, this connection needs further elucidation of its mechanisms to comprehend it better and prevent its impact.
Soares et al. (2026) studied this question.