Assessment of Abdominal Fat Distribution in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Magnetic Resonance Imaging: a Population-based Study

Background: To investigate the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and quantitative measures of central adiposity in the general population using a semi-automated method on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Methods: Subjects were recruited from Golestan Cohort Study. Two groups of 120 individuals with and without fatty liver were randomly 􀁖􀁈􀁏􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁅􀁄􀁖􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁒􀁑􀀃􀂿􀁑􀁇􀁌􀁑􀁊􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁘􀁏􀁗􀁕􀁄􀁖􀁒􀁘􀁑􀁇􀀑􀀃􀀱􀁒􀁑􀀐􀁌􀁑􀁙􀁄􀁖􀁌􀁙􀁈􀀃􀁇􀁌􀁄􀁊􀁑􀁒􀁖􀁌􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀀱􀀤􀀩􀀯􀀧􀀃􀁚􀁄􀁖􀀃􀁐􀁄􀁇􀁈􀀃􀁅􀁜􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁐􀁅􀁌􀁑􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁘􀁏􀁗􀁕􀁄􀁖􀁒􀁘􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀀰􀀵􀀬􀀑􀀃􀀹􀁄􀁕􀁌􀁒􀁘􀁖􀀃 anthropometric indices including body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were measured. 􀀶􀁈􀁊􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁆􀁄􀁏􀁆􀁘􀁏􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁙􀁌􀁖􀁆􀁈􀁕􀁄􀁏􀀃􀀋􀀹􀀩􀀤􀀌􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁖􀁘􀁅􀁆􀁘􀁗􀁄􀁑􀁈􀁒􀁘􀁖􀀃􀁉􀁄􀁗􀀃􀁄􀁕􀁈􀁄􀀃􀀋􀀶􀀩􀀤􀀌􀀃􀁚􀁈􀁕􀁈􀀃􀁓􀁈􀁕􀁉􀁒􀁕􀁐􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁕􀁈􀁈􀀃􀁏􀁈􀁙􀁈􀁏􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀀰􀀵􀀬􀀃􀁖􀁏􀁌􀁆􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁘􀁖􀁌􀁑􀁊􀀃􀁖􀁈􀁐􀁌􀀐 automated software. Results:􀀃􀀤􀀃􀁗􀁒􀁗􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀀔􀀓􀀜􀀃􀁌􀁑􀁇􀁌􀁙􀁌􀁇􀁘􀁄􀁏􀁖􀀃􀁉􀁘􀁏􀂿􀁏􀁏􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀀱􀀤􀀩􀀯􀀧􀀃􀁆􀁕􀁌􀁗􀁈􀁕􀁌􀁄􀀏􀀃􀁚􀁋􀁌􀁏􀁈􀀃􀀜􀀕􀀃􀁖􀁘􀁅􀁍􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁖􀀃􀁚􀁈􀁕􀁈􀀃􀁖􀁈􀁏􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁄􀁖􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁑􀁗􀁕􀁒􀁏􀀃􀁊􀁕􀁒􀁘􀁓􀀑􀀃􀀤􀁏􀁏􀀃􀁒􀁅􀁈􀁖􀁌􀁗􀁜􀀃􀁐􀁈􀁄􀁖􀁘􀁕􀁈􀁖􀀏􀀃 􀁈􀁛􀁆􀁈􀁓􀁗􀀃 􀁉􀁒􀁕􀀃 􀀶􀀩􀀤􀀏􀀃 􀁚􀁈􀁕􀁈􀀃 􀁖􀁌􀁊􀁑􀁌􀂿􀁆􀁄􀁑􀁗􀁏􀁜􀀃 􀁋􀁌􀁊􀁋􀁈􀁕􀀃 􀁌􀁑􀀃 􀁖􀁘􀁅􀁍􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁖􀀃 􀁚􀁌􀁗􀁋􀀃 􀀱􀀤􀀩􀀯􀀧􀀃 􀁆􀁒􀁐􀁓􀁄􀁕􀁈􀁇􀀃 􀁗􀁒􀀃 􀁆􀁒􀁑􀁗􀁕􀁒􀁏􀁖􀀑􀀃 􀀶􀁌􀁊􀁑􀁌􀂿􀁆􀁄􀁑􀁗􀀃 􀁄􀁖􀁖􀁒􀁆􀁌􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀁖􀀃 􀁚􀁈􀁕􀁈􀀃 􀁉􀁒􀁘􀁑􀁇􀀃 􀁅􀁈􀁗􀁚􀁈􀁈􀁑􀀃 NAFLD and adiposity indices, except for SFA, with the highest odds ratio observed in WHR (OR: 3.37, CI: 1.40–3.70, P􀀃􀀟􀀃􀀓􀀑􀀓􀀓􀀔􀀌􀀑􀀃􀀹􀀩􀀤􀀃􀁄􀁏􀁖􀁒􀀃 had the greatest correlation with ultrasound (r = 0.523, P < 0.001) and MRI (r = 0.546, P < 0.001) indicators of NAFLD. Conclusions: Quantitative measures of visceral adiposity are associated with NAFLD, while subcutaneous fat measures are poor indicators for identifying NAFLD.􀀃 of fatty liver.