Recruitment of Minority Patients in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease Clinical Trials.
Dig Dis SciMay 6, 2026 (epub)
Sarah E Park, Yael Wollstein, Alan L Hutchison et al.
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In 30 seconds
This meta-analysis examined racial and ethnic diversity in 91 randomized controlled trials of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) therapies conducted in the US and Canada from 2005 to 2024. The study found that 78.8% of participants were White, while only 31.7% were Hispanic, despite the latter group being disproportionately affected by MASLD.
Key findings
- 78.8% of trial participants were White, 6.2% Asian, 2.5% Black, and 31.7% Hispanic.
- Hispanic enrollment in trials increased from 20.3% (2009-2014) to 40.0% (2020-2024).
- Only 61.5% of studies included ethnicity data.
Why it matters
Understanding the racial and ethnic composition of clinical trial participants is crucial for ensuring that findings are generalizable and applicable to diverse populations, particularly for conditions like MASLD that disproportionately affect certain groups.