Android fat deposition tied to increased NAFLD, fibrosis prevalence in women

An android fat deposition pattern, independent of body mass index (BMI), appears to predict higher odds of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in both men and women, but its effect on fibrosis is only seen in females, suggests a US study.

A team of investigators conducted this cross-sectional, population-based study using the 2017‒2018 cycle of the NHANES to assess the relations of total body fat and body fat distribution with NAFLD in the general population. They examined the body composition of and liver steatosis and fibrosis in participants aged 18‒59 years without known liver conditions or significant alcohol intake using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and vibration-controlled transient elastography, respectively.

Finally, the investigators performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis to examine the contribution of BMI and android:gynoid ratio (A:G ratio) to the prevalence of liver steatosis and fibrosis in both males and females.

The weighted prevalence of steatosis was 41.5 percent among 1,115 males and 29.9 percent among 1,113 females. In addition, 7.0 percent of men and 4.0 percent of women had elastographic evidence of significant liver fibrosis.

A higher A:G ratio significantly correlated with a higher likelihood of steatosis in both men (odds ratio [OR], 1.79, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.07‒2.99; p=0.029) and women (OR, 1.95, 95 percent CI, 1.11‒3.41; p=0.023). On the other hand, A:G ratio was significantly associated with liver fibrosis only in females (OR, 2.09, 95 percent CI, 1.11‒3.97; p=0.026) and not in males (OR, 0.56, 95 percent CI, 0.29‒1.08; p=0.078).