The researchers also found that these night-time problems continue even after people lose weight and reduce fat in their liver. Their findings suggest that these night-related metabolic issues may be an important driver of the disease.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) – formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease – is the most common liver disease worldwide, affecting around 40% of adults. Severe forms can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, liver cancer and cardiovascular disease. MASLD is closely associated with being overweight and is characterised by insulin resistance, a key driver of fat accumulation in the liver.
During the study, published in Cell Metabolism, the research team – who are supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre – used intensive metabolic investigations during the day and night in people with and without MASLD, including biopsies and infusion-based tests of insulin sensitivity.
This approach enabled them to map how key drivers of liver fat accumulation change over 24 hours. They showed that liver fat production increased overnight and that insulin resistance worsened not only in the liver, but also in muscle and abdominal fat tissue. Blood insulin levels also fell during the night, further amplifying the processes that promote fat build-up in the liver.
Read the full story on the Radcliffe Department of Medicine website.