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Body Composition and Muscle Mass in Patients with Non‐Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Radiological Study Computed Tomography Analysis of Body Composition in Patients with Non‐Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Author(s) -
Foje Nathan,
Khandalavala Birgit,
Oliveto Jennifer,
Rochling Fedja,
Geske Jennene
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.973.5
Subject(s) - sarcopenia , medicine , fatty liver , adipose tissue , insulin resistance , population , disease , metabolic syndrome , biomarker , cohort , gastroenterology , pathology , radiology , obesity , biology , environmental health , biochemistry
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is rapidly becoming a leading cause of liver disease in the US, and it is predicted to become the predominant cause of liver failure and transplant in the future. There is a critical void in current knowledge of non‐invasive NAFLD evaluation and assessment and limited therapeutic options. Emerging data suggests that NAFLD is significantly correlated with metabolic abnormalities, insulin resistance, and visceral adiposity. Sarcopenia is increasingly reported to be associated with poor prognosis with similar correlations to metabolic status. Preliminary studies indicate that muscle mass can be reliably estimated on radiological evaluation by CT scan and is a good indicator of prognosis. With sparse data available on body composition that includes muscle mass estimation in patients with NAFLD in the US, a study to provide more comprehensive assessment, could lead to development of a novel muscle biomarker. A retrospective cohort study was conducted for a mid‐western population with known NAFLD at a single institution. Following exclusion of other causes, 192 subjects with NAFLD were identified by chart review to have undergone incidental, abdominal, non‐contrast CT scans over a three‐year period. Specialized software was used to estimate body composition consisting of visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Muscle mass was determined by psoas muscle measurement to provide the computed tomography abbreviated assessment of sarcopenia in trauma (CAAST) score as an indicator of sarcopenia. This study demonstrated a reliable, low‐risk, and readily available methodology for comprehensive body composition in patients with NAFLD. The use of such non‐invasive and prognostic information could be essential for targeted interventions that would reduce the visceral adipose tissue, increase lean muscle mass, and improve outcomes. Support or Funding Information No dislosures