The Link between Abdominal Obesity Indices and the Progression of Liver Fibrosis: Insights from a Population-Based Study.

There is currently no available information on the correlation between abdominal obesity indices and the risk of liver fibrosis progression. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and the visceral adiposity index (VAI) with the progression of liver fibrosis. The study also evaluated the association between these indices and the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and liver fibrosis. A total of 1403 subjects participated in the cross-sectional and longitudinal population-based study. Liver stiffness was assessed via transient elastography, at baseline and follow-up (median: 4.2 years). The subgroup with dysglycemia was also analyzed. In the cross-sectional study, the highest quartile of VAI, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, and abdominal obesity showed significant associations with the prevalence of MASLD and liver fibrosis, as well as with fibrosis progression. However, VAI showed no association with MASLD incidence. Among the dysglycemic subjects, there was no observed association between VAI and the incidence of MASLD or the progression of fibrosis. In conclusion, the BMI, WC, and the VAI are associated with an increased risk of progression to moderate-to-advanced liver fibrosis in the general population. However, the VAI does not perform better than the BMI and WC measurement.

Clinical epidemiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children and adolescents. The LiverKids: Study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is rapidly increasing alongside overweight and obesity, not only in adults but also in children and adolescents. It is unknown what impact the development of NAFLD in childhood may have in later life. The importance of early detection and treatment lies in its potential for progression to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver-related death, as well as its associated extrahepatic comorbidities. Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE) with Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) is an effective, non-invasive and safe diagnostic method to estimate the degree of fibrosis and steatosis in the liver, but little is known about its applicability in the paediatric population. AIMS: 1) To assess the prevalence of significant liver fibrosis (Liver Stiffness Measurement (LSM) ≥6.5 kPa) using VCTE, and that of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (≥225 dB/m) using CAP in children and adolescents. 2) To determine the optimal cut-off points of the CAP to achieve maximum concordance with the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) findings in the diagnosis of mild, moderate and severe NAFLD in children and adolescents. METHODS: Cross-sectional population-based study which will include 2,866 subjects aged between 9 and 16 years. Participants will undergo: anamnesis, physical examination, blood extraction, VCTE, MRI and questionnaires on socio-demographic data, personal and family medical history and lifestyle assessment. APPLICABILITY AND RELEVANCE: The study aims to establish the foundations for the use of VCTE in children and adolescents in order to achieve early diagnosis of NAFLD. Moreover, it will serve to understand in further detail the disease and to identify the risk groups of children and adolescents who may be at risk of developing it. Ultimately, this will help determine to which subgroups of the population we need to target resources for prevention and early detection of this entity, as well as possible intervention for its treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The LiverKids study is registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05526274).