MASLD and Sarcopenia Research (2012–2025): A Multi-Database Bibliometric Analysis

Why It Matters

Understanding the liver‑muscle axis is critical for designing precision‑nutrition and therapeutic strategies that can curb the dual burden of fatty liver disease and muscle loss, both of which drive morbidity and health‑care costs worldwide.

Key Takeaways

• Field grew 36.6% CAGR, 701 papers 2012‑2025.
• China, South Korea, USA lead collaborations; Korean authors most influential.
• Research focus shifted from mechanisms to fibrosis risk prediction and lifestyle interventions.
• Low muscle mass raises MASLD progression risk (HR 1.18‑7.96) in cohort studies.
• Emerging themes: sarcopenia‑fibrosis, lipid metabolism with lifestyle, cardiometabolic management.

Pulse Analysis

The surge in MASLD‑sarcopenia research reflects broader epidemiological trends: obesity and type‑2 diabetes are propelling fatty liver disease to affect more than a third of adults, while age‑related muscle loss compounds disease severity. By aggregating data from Web of Science and Scopus, the bibliometric analysis quantifies this momentum and pinpoints the geographic hubs that are shaping the discourse. East Asian institutions, particularly in South Korea, dominate authorship and citation impact, suggesting that regional funding priorities and clinical expertise are accelerating discovery in the liver‑muscle nexus.

Beyond sheer volume, the study uncovers a strategic pivot in scientific inquiry. Early work emphasized insulin resistance and inflammatory pathways, but recent publications prioritize clinical phenotyping—identifying sarcopenic obesity, body‑composition metrics, and non‑invasive fibrosis scores. BERTopic modeling highlights three fast‑growing themes: the link between sarcopenia and fibrosis risk, the role of lipid metabolism in lifestyle‑based interventions, and integrated cardiometabolic management. This shift signals that researchers are seeking actionable biomarkers and therapeutic windows that can be addressed through diet, exercise, or emerging pharmacology.

For clinicians and investors, these insights carry practical implications. The demonstrated hazard ratios (1.18‑7.96) for MASLD progression among individuals with reduced muscle mass underscore the need for routine muscle assessment in liver clinics. Precision‑nutrition approaches—such as Mediterranean‑style diets enriched with high‑quality protein and vitamin D—are emerging as low‑risk adjuncts to pharmacologic agents like GLP‑1 receptor agonists. As the field matures, interdisciplinary collaborations that blend hepatology, geriatrics, nutrition science, and data analytics will likely dictate the next wave of breakthroughs, positioning MASLD‑sarcopenia research at the forefront of metabolic health innovation.