Prevalence and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease among adult psoriatic patients: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis

Abstract

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to report the evaluation of the prevalence and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among adult psoriatic patients in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across 4 databases of PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science to collect relevant studies until November 30, 2023, without any restrictions for finding observational studies. The comprehensive meta-analysis version 3.0 software was used to calculate effect sizes, showing the event rate (ER), odds ratio (OR), and a 95% confidence interval (CI) to evaluate NAFLD risk or prevalence in psoriatic patients and controls or psoriatic patients alone. The quality scoring was performed by 1 author based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale tool. Publication bias, meta-regression analysis, and sensitivity analyses were performed. Additionally, Trial Sequential Analysis (TSA) was performed using TSA software. Results: A total of 581 records were identified among the databases and electronic sources. At last, 41 studies involving 607,781 individuals were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled ER of NAFLD among psoriatic patients was 29.5% (95%CI: 19.6%–41.7%) and I 2 = 99.79%. The pooled OR of NAFLD in psoriatic patients compared to controls was 1.685 (95%CI: 1.382–2.055; P < .001) and I 2 = 87.96%. Conclusions: The study found a significant link between psoriasis and NAFLD, with psoriatic patients having a higher chance of developing NAFLD compared to the controls. The study calls for regular NAFLD screening in psoriatic patients to prevent liver complications.