Author information

¹Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States. jogosnel@utmb.edu.

²Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States.

³Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States.

⁴Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, United States.

⁵Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States.

⁶Center for Tropical Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States.

⁷Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States.

Abstract

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) are a growing health burden across a significant portion of the global patient population. However, these conditions seem to have disparate rates and outcomes between different ethnic populations. The combination of MASLD/MASH and type 2 diabetes increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and Hispanic patients experience the greatest burden, particularly those in South Texas.

Aim: To compare outcomes between Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients in the United States, while further focusing on the Hispanic population within Southeast Texas to determine whether the documented disparity in outcomes is a function of geographical circumstance or if there is a more widespread reason that all clinicians must account for in prognostic consideration.

Methods: This cohort analysis was conducted with data obtained from TriNetX, LLC ("TriNetX"), a global federated health research network that provides access to deidentified medical records from healthcare organizations worldwide. Two cohort networks were used: University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) hospital and the United States national database collective to determine whether disparities were related to geographic regions, like Southeast Texas.

Results: This study findings revealed Hispanics/Latinos have a statistically significant higher occurrence of HCC, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and liver fibrosis/cirrhosis in both the United States and the UTMB Hispanic/Latino groups. All-cause mortality in Hispanics/Latinos was lower within the United States group and not statistically elevated in the UTMB cohort.

Conclusion: This would appear to support that Hispanic patients in Southeast Texas are not uniquely affected compared to the national Hispanic population.