Nonlinear correlation between fatty liver index and carotid intima media thickness among individuals undergoing health examination

Yuanchen Zhou; Shaojie Duan; Rongrui Wang; Jialiang Chen; Shukun Yao

doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1120581

Nonlinear correlation between fatty liver index and carotid intima media thickness among individuals undergoing health examination

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Mar 28:14:1120581. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1120581. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yuanchen Zhou^{1

2}, Shaojie Duan^{2

3}, Rongrui Wang³, Jialiang Chen⁴, Shukun Yao^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Peking University China-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China.
² Department of Gastroenterology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China.
³ Graduate School of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
⁴ Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Background: Fatty liver index (FLI) is a predictor of non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to assess the association between FLI and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 277 individuals for health examination from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital. Blood sampling and ultrasound examinations were conducted. Multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analyses were performed to evaluate the association between FLI and CIMT.

Results: Overall, 175 (63.2%) and 105 (37.9%) individuals had NAFLD and CIMT, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression analyses results showed that high FLI was independently associated with a high risk of increased CIMT, T2 vs. T1 (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI]): 2.41, 1.10-5.25, p = 0.027; T3 vs. T1 (OR, 95% CI): 1.58, 0.68-3.64, p = 0.285. The association between FLI and increased CIMT exhibited a J-shaped curve (nonlinear, p = 0.019). In the threshold analysis, the OR for developing increased CIMT was 1.031 (95% CI: 1.011-1.051, p = 0.0023) in participants with FLI < 64.247.

Conclusion: The relationship between FLI and increased CIMT in the health examination population is J-shaped, with an inflection point of 64.247.

Keywords: J curve; athrosclerosis; carotid intima-media thickness; fatty liver index (FLI); health examination.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
China / epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / diagnostic imaging
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / epidemiology
Risk Factors

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Biomedical Translational Engineering Research Center Foundation of Beijing University of Chemical Technology and China-Japan Friendship Hospital in 2018 (Grant No. PYBZ1815) and National Key Development Plan for Precision Medicine Research (Grant No.2017YFC0910002).