High BMI linked to increased risk of metabolic syndrome

Written By : Jacinthlyn Sylvia |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2023-09-12T09:45:04+05:30 | Updated On 12 Sept 2023 2:33 PM IST

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

Nature Scientific ReportsNonalcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseMetabolic syndrome

Source : Scientific Reports

Jacinthlyn Sylvia

Neuroscience Masters graduate

Jacinthlyn Sylvia, a Neuroscience Master's graduate from Chennai has worked extensively in deciphering the neurobiology of cognition and motor control in aging. She also has spread-out exposure to Neurosurgery from her Bachelor’s. She is currently involved in active Neuro-Oncology research. She is an upcoming neuroscientist with a fiery passion for writing. Her news cover at Medical Dialogues feature recent discoveries and updates from the healthcare and biomedical research fields. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751