Objectives: This study investigated how the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) diagnosis varies between non-Hispanic African American and white patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed using electronic medical records from an integrated health care system (2010-2018). Adults with records for all MetS measurements (body mass index, lipids, blood pressure, and blood glucose) in 2011, who did not have a NAFLD diagnosis before their last MetS measurement, were included. Results: The study cohort consisted of 139,336 patients (age 56.1 ± 15.2 years, 57.9% female, 79.4% non-Hispanic white). The rate of NAFLD diagnosis was higher in MetS patients compared with non-MetS patients [adjusted hazards ratio (AHR) = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.91-2.09] with a significant interaction by race (AHR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.95-2.15 in non-Hispanic whites vs. AHR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.58-1.96 non-Hispanic African Americans, P = 0.017). Secondary analyses revealed that the relative NAFLD diagnosis rate was higher in non-Hispanic whites with MetS compared with non-Hispanic African Americans with MetS among females and patients 18-39 years of age and 40-59 years, but not among males and those ≥60 years of age. Conclusions: Non-Hispanic white patients with MetS, particularly females and those <60 years of age, may be at increased risk of NAFLD compared with non-Hispanic African American MetS patients and may benefit from extra attention regarding NAFLD screening.
Keywords: African Americans; health care disparity; non-Hispanic whites; retrospective cohort study.