Medical Dialogues
  • Dermatology
Login Register
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
Login Register
  • MD Brand Connect
  • Vaccine Hub
  • MDTV
    • Breaking News
    • Medical News Today
    • Health News Today
    • Latest
    • Journal Club
    • Medico Legal Update
    • Latest Webinars
    • MD Shorts
    • Health Dialogues
  • Fact Check
  • Health Dialogues
Medical Dialogues
  • Medical News & Guidelines
      • Anesthesiology
      • Cardiology and CTVS
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diabetes and Endocrinology
      • ENT
      • Gastroenterology
      • Medicine
      • Nephrology
      • Neurology
      • Obstretics-Gynaecology
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopaedics
      • Pediatrics-Neonatology
      • Psychiatry
      • Pulmonology
      • Radiology
      • Surgery
      • Urology
      • Laboratory Medicine
      • Diet
      • Nursing
      • Paramedical
      • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
      • Doctor News
      • Government Policies
      • Hospital & Diagnostics
      • International Health News
      • Medical Organization News
      • Medico Legal News
      • NBE News
      • NMC News
  • Fact Check
      • Bone Health Fact Check
      • Brain Health Fact Check
      • Cancer Related Fact Check
      • Child Care Fact Check
      • Dental and oral health fact check
      • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
      • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
      • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
      • Fitness fact check
      • Gut health fact check
      • Heart health fact check
      • Kidney health fact check
      • Medical education fact check
      • Men's health fact check
      • Respiratory fact check
      • Skin and hair care fact check
      • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
      • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
    • Homeopathy
    • Siddha
    • Unani
    • Yoga
  • State News
      • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
      • Andhra Pradesh
      • Arunachal Pradesh
      • Assam
      • Bihar
      • Chandigarh
      • Chattisgarh
      • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
      • Daman and Diu
      • Delhi
      • Goa
      • Gujarat
      • Haryana
      • Himachal Pradesh
      • Jammu & Kashmir
      • Jharkhand
      • Karnataka
      • Kerala
      • Ladakh
      • Lakshadweep
      • Madhya Pradesh
      • Maharashtra
      • Manipur
      • Meghalaya
      • Mizoram
      • Nagaland
      • Odisha
      • Puducherry
      • Punjab
      • Rajasthan
      • Sikkim
      • Tamil Nadu
      • Telangana
      • Tripura
      • Uttar Pradesh
      • Uttrakhand
      • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
      • Ayush Education News
      • Dentistry Education News
      • Medical Admission News
      • Medical Colleges News
      • Medical Courses News
      • Medical Universities News
      • Nursing education News
      • Paramedical Education News
      • Study Abroad
  • Industry
      • Health Investment News
      • Health Startup News
      • Medical Devices News
      • Pharma News
      • Pharmacy Education News
      • Industry Perspective
  • MDTV
      • Health Dialogues MDTV
      • Health News today MDTV
      • Latest Videos MDTV
      • Latest Webinars MDTV
      • MD shorts MDTV
      • Medical News Today MDTV
      • Medico Legal Update MDTV
      • Top Videos MDTV
      • Health Perspectives MDTV
      • Journal Club MDTV
      • Medical Dialogues Show
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
LoginRegister
Medical Dialogues
LoginRegister
  • Home
  • Medical news & Guidelines
    • Anesthesiology
    • Cardiology and CTVS
    • Critical Care
    • Dentistry
    • Dermatology
    • Diabetes and Endocrinology
    • ENT
    • Gastroenterology
    • Medicine
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstretics-Gynaecology
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Orthopaedics
    • Pediatrics-Neonatology
    • Psychiatry
    • Pulmonology
    • Radiology
    • Surgery
    • Urology
    • Laboratory Medicine
    • Diet
    • Nursing
    • Paramedical
    • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
    • Doctor News
    • Government Policies
    • Hospital & Diagnostics
    • International Health News
    • Medical Organization News
    • Medico Legal News
    • NBE News
    • NMC News
  • Fact Check
    • Bone Health Fact Check
    • Brain Health Fact Check
    • Cancer Related Fact Check
    • Child Care Fact Check
    • Dental and oral health fact check
    • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
    • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
    • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
    • Fitness fact check
    • Gut health fact check
    • Heart health fact check
    • Kidney health fact check
    • Medical education fact check
    • Men's health fact check
    • Respiratory fact check
    • Skin and hair care fact check
    • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
    • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
      • Ayurveda Giuidelines
      • Ayurveda News
    • Homeopathy
      • Homeopathy Guidelines
      • Homeopathy News
    • Siddha
      • Siddha Guidelines
      • Siddha News
    • Unani
      • Unani Guidelines
      • Unani News
    • Yoga
      • Yoga Guidelines
      • Yoga News
  • State News
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Arunachal Pradesh
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chandigarh
    • Chattisgarh
    • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
    • Daman and Diu
    • Delhi
    • Goa
    • Gujarat
    • Haryana
    • Himachal Pradesh
    • Jammu & Kashmir
    • Jharkhand
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Ladakh
    • Lakshadweep
    • Madhya Pradesh
    • Maharashtra
    • Manipur
    • Meghalaya
    • Mizoram
    • Nagaland
    • Odisha
    • Puducherry
    • Punjab
    • Rajasthan
    • Sikkim
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
    • Tripura
    • Uttar Pradesh
    • Uttrakhand
    • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
    • Ayush Education News
    • Dentistry Education News
    • Medical Admission News
    • Medical Colleges News
    • Medical Courses News
    • Medical Universities News
    • Nursing education News
    • Paramedical Education News
    • Study Abroad
  • Industry
    • Health Investment News
    • Health Startup News
    • Medical Devices News
    • Pharma News
      • CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) News
    • Pharmacy Education News
    • Industry Perspective
  • Home
  • Diabetes and Endocrinology
  • Diabetes and Endocrinology News
  • Obesity, Not Liver...

Obesity, Not Liver Fat, Drives Link Between Depression and Fatty Liver Disease: UK Biobank Study

Written By : Medha Baranwal |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2025-07-04T09:00:01+05:30  |  Updated On 4 July 2025 12:09 PM IST
Obesity, Not Liver Fat, Drives Link Between Depression and Fatty Liver Disease: UK Biobank Study
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Email

UK: A new study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism sheds light on the complex connection between liver fat accumulation and depression. The research, led by Qi Feng from The George Institute for Global Health (UK) and Imperial College London, suggests that obesity—not liver fat itself—is the key factor linking steatotic liver disease (SLD) and depression.

Using data from the UK Biobank, the study included over 36,500 participants with a mean age of 64.5 years, of whom more than half were female. Liver fat was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived proton density fat fraction, and SLD was defined as liver fat content equal to or above 5%. Depression was determined based on self-reported diagnoses and hospital records.

The study revealed the following findings:

  • In the cross-sectional analysis, individuals with steatotic liver disease (SLD) had a higher prevalence of depression compared to those without SLD (9.1% vs 7.3%).
  • After adjusting for age, sex, and socioeconomic status, SLD was associated with a 40% higher odds of depression.
  • This association reduced significantly to a 12% increase in odds after accounting for body mass index (BMI), suggesting obesity may be a key confounding factor.
  • In the prospective analysis involving over 33,700 individuals followed for a median of 4.5 years, 414 new cases of depression were identified.
  • Initially, SLD was linked to a 27% increased risk of developing depression.
  • After adjusting for BMI, this association was no longer statistically significant.
  • Incremental increases in liver fat (per 5%) were not linked to future risk of depression.
  • The study found no significant differences in these associations between men and women.

“These findings carry significant implications for clinical care and public health,” the authors noted. The data suggests that targeting obesity through lifestyle changes or weight reduction strategies may be a more effective approach to reducing depression risk in individuals with fatty liver disease, rather than focusing on liver fat alone.

The researchers emphasized that while liver fat and depression appear connected, the relationship may be driven by reverse causation and shared risk factors such as obesity. They called for future investigations into how weight management and other lifestyle interventions could impact both metabolic and mental health outcomes.

The authors concluded, "While SLD is associated with an increased likelihood of depression, the link seems to be largely explained by excess weight. The study highlights obesity as a critical modifiable factor in the interplay between liver health and mental well-being, highlighting the importance of holistic care strategies that address both physical and psychological health."

Reference:

Feng Q, Izzi-Engbeaya CN, Manousou P, Woodward M. Obesity drives the link between liver fat and depression: Cross-sectional and prospective investigations. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2025 Jun 24. doi: 10.1111/dom.16562. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40555708.


Diabetes Obesity and MetabolismObesityliver fatdepression
Source : Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
Medha Baranwal
Medha Baranwal

    MSc. Biotechnology

    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
    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

    Show Full Article
    Next Story

    Editorial

    Dapagliflozin Shines in Post-TAVI Patients:DAPA-TAVI Trial Findings

    Dapagliflozin Shines in Post-TAVI Patients:DAPA-TAVI Trial Findings

    Identifying Candidates for Aspirin in Primary Prevention: Men Aged 40-50 with Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, and Familial ASCVD Risk

    Identifying Candidates for Aspirin in Primary Prevention: Men Aged 40-50 with Hypertension,...

    Featured image representing thinking

    Is Pharma Marketing Going Through "Thinking Recession"?

    Beyond BMI: Why Pioglitazone Deserves a Place in Managing Thin-Fat Type 2 Diabetes in India

    Beyond BMI: Why Pioglitazone Deserves a Place in Managing 'Thin-Fat' Type 2 Diabetes in India

    How to Improve Adherence in Hypertensive Patients? Bridging the Gap with CONNECT Tool

    How to Improve Adherence in Hypertensive Patients? Bridging the Gap with CONNECT Tool

    View All

    Journal Club Today

    Alkem Launches PRAYAS: A Bold Step Toward Accessible Cancer Care

    Alkem Launches 'PRAYAS': A Bold Step Toward Accessible Cancer Care

    View All

    Health News Today

    Health Bulletin 3/July/ 2025

    Health Bulletin 3/July/ 2025

    View All
    © 2022 All Rights Reserved.
    Powered By: Hocalwire
    X
    We use cookies for analytics, advertising and to improve our site. You agree to our use of cookies by continuing to use our site. To know more, see our Cookie Policy and Cookie Settings.Ok