Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and MASLD: a cross-sectional study with interpretable machine learning for MASLD risk prediction (opens in new tab)

BackgroundHelicobacter pylori (HP) infection has been increasingly linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). However, evidence remains inconsistent, and the predictive value of HP status within integrated risk models is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between HP infection and MASLD and to develop interpretable machine learning models for MASLD risk stratification.MethodsA total of 1,021 participants from a Chinese hospital-based cohort a...