In this study, the non-NAFLD participants had much higher SHBG concentrations (median, 63.4 nmol/L; interquartile range, 47.6–83.1 nmol/L) than the NAFLD participants (median, 43.8 nmol/L; interquartile range, 33.4–56.8 nmol/L) (p <  0.001). This evidence concerns the gene SHBG and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.