Evidence mapPaperPMID 42370344Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in nutrition2026

MASLD and sarcopenia research (2012-2025): a multi-database bibliometric analysis.

Keyan Gao, Liwen Xun, Shalei Hao, Min An, Lingfeng Zuo, Jiayu Wang, Ying Wang, Junhua He

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Keyan GaoDepartment of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
Liwen XunDepartment of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
Shalei HaoDepartment of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
Min AnDepartment of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
Lingfeng ZuoDepartment of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
Jiayu WangDepartment of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
Ying WangDepartment of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
Junhua HeDepartment of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: MASLD and sarcopenia share common pathophysiological mechanisms, including insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, and their coexistence has been associated with increased risks of hepatic fibrosis, cardiovascular events, and all-cause mortality. Mapping research trends and nutrition-related implications along the liver-muscle axis may help inform precision nutrition strategies. Materials and methods: English-language original articles and reviews published from January 2012 to December 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases. A total of 701 unique publications were included. Bibliometric analyses, including descriptive statistics, collaboration network analysis, co-citation analysis, and keyword burst detection, were performed using the R package bibliometrix, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer. BERTopic modeling was applied to identify latent semantic themes and their temporal evolution. Relevant prospective cohort studies from PubMed were also reviewed to provide contextual evidence on longitudinal associations between muscle-related parameters and MASLD outcomes. Results: The field grew at an average annual rate of 36.6%, with China, South Korea, and the United States forming the core collaborative network; South Korean authors showed particularly high productivity and influence. The research focus shifted from molecular mechanisms to clinical phenotyping, risk prediction, and intervention-related topics. BERTopic modeling identified three emerging themes: sarcopenia-fibrosis risk, lipid metabolism with lifestyle interventions, and cardiometabolic comorbidity management. The prospective cohort studies suggested that low muscle mass and impaired muscle function were associated with a higher risk of MASLD onset or progression (HR 1.18-7.96), consistent with previously proposed mechanisms, including lipotoxicity, systemic inflammation, and gut-liver-muscle axis dysregulation. Conclusion: Research on MASLD and sarcopenia has progressively shifted from descriptive and mechanistic studies toward early fibrosis risk prediction, lifestyle-based interventions, and integrated metabolic management. Standardized muscle assessment and further investigation of the liver-muscle axis are needed to support precision nutrition strategies.

Indexed as

bibliometricsliver–muscle axismetabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver diseaseprecision nutritionsarcopenia

Identifiers

PMID42370344
PMCPMC13305728

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.