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High intensity exercise improves metabolic status and may potentially mobilize hepatic fat. Dr Younossi and colleagues from Virginia, USA assessed the level of physical activity of subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Data were obtained from NHANES. Activity counts obtained from accelerometer readings, from 7 consecutive days quantified total physical activity and time spent engaged in different levels of activity. The team defined NAFLD as a fatty liver index more than 60 (FLI) in the absence of other chronic liver disease.  | | NAFLD subjects spent less time participating in activity at any level | | Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics |
Simple linear regression analyses were used to determine the association between physical activity levels and NAFLD. The researchers included 3056 participants. NAFLD patients were older, had higher BMI, larger waist circumference, higher sum of skinfolds, more likely to have insulin resistance, and type-2 diabetes. Average physical activity for NAFLD subjects was about 29 counts per minute per day less than controls. Furthermore, NAFLD subjects spent less time participating in activity at any level. The researchers observed subjects with NAFLD and DM were in the lowest quartile of average physical activity as well as moderate-vigorous physical activity.
Dr Younossi's team concludes, "Data from this study show that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients have low level of physical activity and, when they have diabetes mellitus, they perform at the lowest quartile of physical activity and moderate-vigorous physical activity."
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