Screening for MASLD-related Advanced Fibrosis in Type 2 Diabetes

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects approximately 25% of the global adult population, 25-30% of whom suffer from metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), increasing the risk of progression to advanced fibrosis (AF) (fibrosis stage F3 or cirrhosis F4). Screening for AF is justified because it is associated with an increased risk of overall, hepatic, and cardiovascular mortality and therefore constitutes a public health issue.

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are identified as a priority target for screening because they are at high risk of AF related to MASLD. The recommendations of the French Association for the Study of the Liver 2020 (afef.asso.fr), the European Association for the Study of the Liver (2024), the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (2022), and the American Association of Diabetes (2025) all recommend a two-step screening process involving the FIB-4 biological score, followed by transient elastography (TE) if the FIB-4 score is \> or = 1.30. Finally, if the TE is ≥8 kPa, the patient is considered to be at intermediate/high risk of AF requiring specialized care to confirm the diagnosis and implement appropriate management, including semi-annual screening for hepatocellular carcinoma in cases of cirrhosis Despite these recommendations, their application in clinical practice remains difficult and requires multidisciplinary collaboration between diabetologists and hepatologists, and between community and hospital sectors, particularly to access TE measures.

Since 2018, the Lyon Sud diabetes department (Hospices Civils de Lyon) has implemented an in-hospital AF screening program using TE for T2D patients. However, this screening by private diabetologists has not yet been implemented, mainly due to the lack of a standardized care pathway and difficulty in accessing TE measurements.

HYPOTHESIS The implementation of systematic and standardized AF screening in private diabetes practices, in two stages and using ET in diabetes care in accordance with recommendations, would significantly increase the identification of patients with AF and thus improve their access to specialized services and appropriate care.