Hepatic steatosis can occur in lean individuals, while its metabolic and risk profiles remain unclear. We aimed to characterize the clinical and risk profiles of lean and non-lean steatosis. This cross-sectional study included 1610 patients with transient elastography-assessed steatosis. The metabolic and risk profiles were compared. Compared to their non-lean counterparts, lean subjects with steatosis had a lower degree of fibrosis (F0-F1: 91.9% vs. 80.9%), had a lower prevalence of diabetes (27.9% vs. 32.8%), dyslipidemia (54.7% vs. 60.2%) and hypertension (50.0% vs. 51.3%), and had higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol while lower fasting insulin and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (all p < 0.05). Of the 16 potential risk factors, being Hispanic was associated with higher odds of non-lean steatosis but not with lean steatosis (odds ratio (OR): 2.07 vs. 0.93), while excessive alcohol consumption had a different trend in the ratio (OR: 1.47 vs.6.65). Higher waist-to-hip ratio (OR: 7.48 vs. 2.45), and higher waist circumference (OR: 1.14 vs. 1.07) showed a stronger positive association with lean steatosis than with non-lean steatosis (all Pheterogeneity < 0.05). Although lean individuals with steatosis presented a healthier metabolic profile, both lean and non-lean steatosis had a significant proportion of metabolic derangements. In addition, the etiological heterogeneity between lean and non-lean steatosis may exist.
Keywords: etiological heterogeneity; lean; steatosis.