Table 1 Baseline characteristics of study participants according to MAFLD and MASLD status

Age, years

56.6 ± 8.09

56.1 ± 8.21

57.3 ± 7.83

56.2 ± 8.14

57.4 ± 7.89

Sex

Female

217,162 (53.8)

161,366 (65.0)

55,796 (36.0)

172,060 (59)

45,102 (40.3)

Male

186,344 (46.2)

87,072 (35.1)

99,272 (64.0)

119,508 (41)

66,836 (59.7)

BMI, kg/m²

< 18.5

2,092 (0.52)

2,090 (0.84)

2 (0.00)

2,092 (0.72)

0 (0.00)

≥ 18.5 to < 25.0

130,911 (32.4)

127,776 (51.4)

3,135 (2.02)

128,819 (44.2)

2,092 (1.87)

≥ 25.0 to < 30.0

172,121 (42.7)

108,397 (43.6)

63,724 (41.1)

128,915 (44.2)

43,206 (38.6)

≥ 30.0

98,382 (24.4)

10,175 (4.10)

88,207 (56.9)

31,742 (10.9)

66,640 (59.5)

Ethnicity

White

381,887 (95.1)

235,215 (95.1)

146,672 (95.1)

277,464 (95.6)

104,423 (93.8)

Asian

8,765 (2.18)

5,498 (2.22)

3,267 (2.12)

5,756 (1.98)

3,009 (2.70)

Black

5,338 (1.33)

3,118 (1.26)

2,220 (1.44)

3,323 (1.14)

2,015 (1.81)

Mixed

2,270 (0.57)

1,487 (0.60)

783 (0.51)

1,640 (0.56)

630 (0.57)

Other

3,404 (0.85)

2,066 (0.84)

1,338 (0.87)

2,204 (0.76)

1,200 (1.08)

Education

College or University degree

130,103 (32.3)

89,139 (35.9)

40,964 (26.5)

101,883 (35.0)

28,220 (25.3)

Other

273,018 (67.7)

159,088 (64.1)

113,930 (73.6)

189,469 (65.0)

83,549 (74.8)

Townsend deprivation index quartile

Q1 (least deprived)

100,813 (25.0)

65,413 (26.4)

35,400 (22.9)

75,824 (26.0)

24,989 (22.4)

Q2

100,697 (25.0)

63,767 (25.7)

36,930 (23.9)

74,233 (25.5)

26,464 (23.7)

Q3

100,752 (25.0)

61,983 (25.0)

38,769 (25.0)

72,915 (25.0)

27,837 (24.9)

Q4 (most deprived)

100,752 (25.0)

56,979 (23.0)

43,773 (28.3)

68,254 (23.4)

32,498 (29.1)

Income levels

Level 1 (<£18,000)

78,141 (22.7)

43,476 (20.5)

34,665 (26.1)

51,102 (20.4)

27,039 (28.7)

Level 2 (£8000–30,999)

87,592 (25.4)

53,261 (25.1)

34,331 (25.8)

62,489 (24.9)

25,103 (26.6)

Level 3 (£31,000–52,000)

90,163 (26.1)

56,535 (26.7)

33,628 (25.3)

67,022 (26.7)

23,141 (24.6)

Level 4 (>£52,000)

89,120 (25.8)

58,877 (27.8)

30,243 (22.8)

70,145 (28.0)

18,975 (20.1)

Smoking status

Never

219,250 (54.6)

145,084 (58.7)

74,166 (48.1)

160,347 (55.2)

58,903 (53)

Past

139,726 (34.8)

77,596 (31.4)

62,130 (40.3)

98,712 (34.0)

41,014 (36.9)

Current

42,538 (10.6)

24,697 (10.0)

17,841 (11.6)

31,287 (10.8)

11,251 (10.1)

Alcohol intake

Daily or almost daily

82,300 (20.4)

50,520 (20.4)

31,780 (20.5)

74,798 (25.7)

7,502 (6.70)

3–4 times a week

93,424 (23.2)

59,523 (24.0)

33,901 (21.9)

73,960 (25.4)

19,464 (17.4)

1–2 times a week

104,287 (25.9)

64,870 (26.2)

39,417 (25.5)

68,406 (23.5)

35,881 (32.2)

Occasionally

90,718 (22.5)

54,400 (21.9)

36,318 (23.5)

54,832 (18.8)

35,886 (32.2)

Never

31,946 (7.93)

18,659 (7.52)

13,287 (8.59)

19,076 (6.55)

12,870 (11.5)

Physical activity

Low

61,376 (18.8)

31,259 (15.4)

30,117 (24.4)

39,435 (16.5)

21,941 (25.1)

Moderate

132,994 (40.8)

82,721 (40.8)

50,273 (40.7)

97,488 (40.8)

35,506 (40.6)

High

131,760 (40.4)

88,611 (43.7)

43,149 (34.9)

101,850 (42.7)

29,910 (34.2)

Diabetes

No

378,471 (93.8)

241,748 (97.3)

136,723 (88.2)

281,176 (96.4)

97,295 (86.9)

Yes

25,035 (6.20)

6,690 (2.69)

18,345 (11.8)

10,392 (3.56)

14,643 (13.1)

Hypertension

No

284,757 (70.6)

196,570 (79.1)

88,187 (56.9)

220,624 (75.7)

64,133 (57.3)

Yes

118,749 (29.4)

51,868 (20.9)

66,881 (43.1)

70,944 (24.3)

47,805 (42.7)

Cardiovascular disease

No

375,559 (93.1)

236,547 (95.2)

139,012 (89.7)

275,607 (94.5)

99,952 (89.3)

Yes

27,947 (6.93)

11,891 (4.79)

16,056 (10.4)

15,961 (5.47)

11,986 (10.7)

APOE ε4carrier

−/−

304,591 (75.9)

186,813 (75.6)

117,778 (76.4)

219,705 (75.8)

84,886 (76.3)

+/−

88,694 (22.1)

55,225 (22.4)

33,469 (21.7)

64,450 (22.2)

24,244 (21.8)

+/+

8,051 (2.01)

5,079 (2.06)

2,972 (1.93)

5,891 (2.03)

2,160 (1.94)

Incidence of all-cause dementia

5,732 (1.42)

3,202 (1.29)

2,530 (1.63)

3,808 (1.31)

1,924 (1.72)