13 Jan 2026 • New data showed that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity tracked closely with more aggressive liver disease in patients with obesity.

In 582 bariatric surgery patients who underwent polysomnography and intraoperative liver biopsy, rising apnea–hypopnea index scores were associated with worse steatosis, hepatocellular ballooning, lobular inflammation, and fibrosis, along with higher nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity and metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH) grades. OSA independently predicted MASLD (OR 1.86), MASH (OR 2.71), and significant fibrosis (stage ≥2; OR 7.08).

A linear relationship was seen between worsening nocturnal breathing disturbance and higher odds of both steatohepatitis and clinically relevant fibrosis, underscoring untreated OSA as a potential accelerator of liver disease progression in obesity.

Source: WILEY | Read full story