High BMI linked to increased risk of metabolic syndrome

A study published in the Scientific Reports reveals that metabolic irregularities were similar among both obese and non-obese individuals with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). However, it was noted that an increase in BMI was associated with a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome in these patients.

NAFLD is a prevalent cause of liver conditions, characterized by the presence of excessive fat in at least 5% of liver cells, not due to alcohol misuse or other liver ailments. NAFLD encompasses a range of chronic liver conditions, beginning with simple fat accumulation and potentially progressing to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Regardless of other risk factors, NAFLD is closely linked to an elevated risk of metabolic issues such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in both obese and non-obese individuals. The study, led by Zahra Yari and team, aimed to compare cardiometabolic risk factors between obese and non-obese NAFLD patients while investigating the connection between adiposity and the severity of fatty liver.

In this cross-sectional study, 452 patients diagnosed with NAFLD through Fibroscan were examined. The researchers assessed anthropometric measurements, metabolic factors, and liver histological characteristics. They employed logistic regression to analyze the likelihood of metabolic syndrome within different BMI categories.

The findings of this study were:

Among the participants, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was found to be 10.2% for those with a normal weight, 27.7% for overweight individuals, and 62.1% for those classified as obese.

The regression analysis revealed that overweight NAFLD patients had a 3.74 times higher risk of metabolic syndrome compared to normal-weight patients, while obese NAFLD patients had a 4.85 times higher risk.

Notably, factors such as waist circumference (β = 0.770, P < 0.001) and levels of fasting blood glucose (β = 0.193, P = 0.002) and triglycerides (β = 0.432, P < 0.001) were identified as significant contributors to the occurrence of metabolic syndrome in NAFLD patients.

Reference:

Yari, Z., Fotros, D., & Hekmatdoost, A. (2023). Comparison of cardiometabolic risk factors between obese and non-obese patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In Scientific Reports (Vol. 13, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41893-w