Women with certain cardiometabolic risk factors may face a greater increase in liver fibrosis risk than men with the same conditions, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC found that factors such as Type 2 diabetes, abdominal obesity and other metabolic issues were linked to a sharper rise in liver scarring among women.
The researchers analyzed health data from nearly 6,000 U.S. adults collected through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2017 and 2020. Although women generally had lower baseline rates of liver fibrosis, their risk rose more dramatically when cardiometabolic factors were present. For example, women with high waist circumference experienced an approximately 11-fold increase in fibrosis rates, compared with about a fourfold increase in men.
Experts say the findings highlight the broader health impact of metabolic conditions beyond heart disease. Scientists believe hormonal factors may play a role, as estrogen appears to offer some protection against liver disease that may decline later in life. Researchers plan to explore how menopause and hormone changes may influence liver fibrosis risk in future studies.
SOURCE:
NewsMedical, March 9, 2026