Korean J Fam Pract.  2023 Sep;13(3):171-178. 10.21215/kjfp.2023.13.3.171.

Association between Muscle Mass Deficits and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease in Adults with Body Mass Index Less than 23 kg/m²

• Lee MY
• Choi HJ
• Oh HJ

• KMID: 2546233
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2023.13.3.171

Abstract

Background
Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) can be diagnosed regardless of a significant history of alcohol consumption or other causes of liver disease when a fatty liver is accompanied by obesity, diabetes, or metabolic abnormalities. The muscles are the target organs for insulin, and sarcopenia is associated with the occurrence of various cardiovascular metabolic diseases. We investigated the association between muscle mass deficit (MMD), estimated by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and MAFLD in adults without obesity or diabetes and with a body mass index (BMI) of <23 kg/m² .
Methods
This study included 9,545 nondiabetic adults with a BMI <23 kg/m² . After dividing the participants into males and females, each group was further divided into a total of four subgroups: one with MMD of 0 kg, and three subgroups according to the degree of MMD; odds ratios (ORs) for MAFLD in each subgroup were obtained.
Results
For male, after adjusting for age, BMI, and lifestyle variables, OR for MAFLD increased gradually in groups 2, 3, and 4 compared to that for group 1. For female, OR for MAFLD was significantly higher only in group 3 (OR, 2.56; 95% confidence intervals, 1.40–4.68), but that for fatty liver increased with MMD.
Conclusion
In male, even nondiabetic adults with a normal BMI can be accompanied by MAFLD if they have MMD. These results suggest that early detection and prevention of MAFLD are necessary if muscles mass is insufficient, even in adults without obesity.

Keyword

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Muscle; Sarcopenia; Metabolic Syndrome