Regional anthropometric measures are associated with severity of NAFLD

Regional anthropometric measures associated with the severity of liver injury in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Not all NAFLD patients are obese and many obese patients do not have NAFLD.

Impaired peripheral fat storage may increase the delivery of lipids to the liver and facilitate NAFLD progression.

Dr Subramanian and his colleagues assessed the association of anthropometric measures of regional adiposity including arm fat index, waist circumference, and body mass index on liver injury and fibrosis in NAFLD.

The team included 141 patients with histological evidence of NAFLD.

In women, waist circumference was positively correlated with NAFLD severity.

Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Multivariate logistic regression models examined the contribution of age, sex, body mass index, arm fat index, triceps fold thickness, waist and hip circumference to the odds of liver injury and fibrosis by liver biopsy.

Arm fat index and triceps fold thickness were negatively correlated with NAFLD histological severity.

The doctors noted that in women, waist circumference was positively correlated with NAFLD severity.

Age and waist circumference were significantly associated with fibrosis risk.

The researchers found that in women, arm fat index and triceps fold thickness were negatively associated with fibrosis risk.

Regional anthropometric measures are associated with severity of NAFLD in a sex-specific manner.

Dr Subramanian's team concludes, "Men and women with lower arm fat depots and women with bigger waist circumference have a greater likelihood of liver injury."

"Age and waist circumference seem to be associated with liver fibrosis. Simple anthropometric measurements of peripheral fat deposits may help stratify significant liver injury risk."