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Waist‐to‐calf circumstance ratio is an independent predictor of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes
Author(s) -
Choe Eun Yeong,
Lee Yongho,
Choi Young Ju,
Huh Byung Wook,
Lee ByungWan,
Kim SooKyung,
Kang Eun Seok,
Cha BongSoo,
Lee Eun Jig,
Huh Kap Bum,
Younossi Zobair M
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/jgh.14011
Subject(s) - medicine , steatosis , insulin resistance , odds ratio , type 2 diabetes , fatty liver , gastroenterology , metabolic syndrome , obesity , diabetes mellitus , confidence interval , fibrosis , waist , endocrinology , disease
Background and Aim Although a combination of central obesity and decreased skeletal muscle mass has been associated with various cardiometabolic disorders, its influence on the presence of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) is unclear. We investigated whether waist‐to‐calf circumference ratio (WCR) predicts NAFLD or hepatic fibrosis in T2D. Methods Patients with T2D ( n = 5507) were enrolled in this study. Hepatic steatosis was diagnosed using abdominal ultrasound and predicting score. NAFLD was defined as ‘hepatic steatosis absent other causes of chronic liver disease,’ such as virus or alcoholism. Degree of hepatic fibrosis was calculated using non‐invasive serum biomarker‐based models. Insulin resistance was assessed by short insulin tolerance test. Results The prevalence of NAFLD and obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 , Asian definition) were 46.4% and 38.9%, respectively. NAFLD prevalence was higher with increasing WCR tertiles: lowest tertile (36% in men, 28% in women) versus highest tertile (53.8% in men, 58.2% in women, both P < 0.001 after stratification by insulin resistance status. Increasing WCR tertiles were independently associated with presence of NAFLD: odds ratio (OR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.22–1.68 and OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.31–1.86, in the middle and highest tertiles, respectively. Furthermore, patients with NAFLD and the highest WCR tertile had significant fibrosis (OR = 8.62, 95% CI = 1.39–53.36, P = 0.021). Also, WCR was correlated with risk of sarcopenia (OR = 3.18, 95% CI = 2.50–4.05, P < 0.001, highest tertile). Conclusions Higher WCR is associated with increased risk of NAFLD and hepatic fibrosis independent of insulin resistance. This suggests that WCR may be a useful index to predict high risk of hepatic steatosis in T2D.