Objective: The present study aimed to explore the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and abdominal and pericardial adipose tissue in middle-aged and elderly subjects.
Methods: Between July 2019 and July 2020, 471 subjects attending the Health Care Medical Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital for a medical examination were enrolled in the study. The volume and distribution of abdominal adipose tissue together with the volume of pericardial adipose tissue were calculated according to the results of the abdominal computed tomography. The differences between subjects with NAFLD and the normal population were analyzed.
Results: The volume of pericardial adipose tissue, abdominal visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue, the total volume of abdominal adipose tissue, and volume of pelvic visceral adipose tissue were all significantly increased in subjects with NAFLD. For every 100 cm³ increase in the volume of abdominal visceral adipose tissue, the incidence of developing NAFLD increased by 9.4%. According to the results of the receiver operating curve, the cut-off point of abdominal visceral adipose tissue for the diagnosis of NAFLD was 2691.1 cm³.
Conclusion: Overall, the risk of NAFLD increases significantly with the increase in the volume of adipose tissue.
Keywords: fatty liver, abdominal adipose tissue, abdominal visceral adipose tissue, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue