Using hyperhomocysteinemia and body composition to predict the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in healthcare workers

Abstract

PurposeThis study investigated associations between serum homocysteine levels, body composition, and the probability of having nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Chinese healthcare workers.Patients and MethodsA total of 4028 healthcare workers were enrolled in this study, and all underwent a physical examination. Body composition was measured using multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.ResultsThere were 1507 NAFLD patients (72.26% male, 27.74% female) and 2521 controls (39.83% male, 60.17% female). Body mass index (BMI), waistline, neck-circumference (NC), abdominal visceral fat area (AVFA), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glucose (Glu), homocysteinemia (hcy) were higher in the NAFLD group than controls. Additionally, the skeletal-muscle was associated with a lower risk of NAFLD, whereas BMI, waistline, NC, hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) were associated with a higher risk of NAFLD. The best NC cut-off point for NAFLD was 34.45 cm (sensitivity 83.3% and specificity 83.9%) in women with HHcy, and the best skeletal-muscle content cut-off point for NAFLD was 41.335% (sensitivity 74.2% and specificity 65.6%) in men with HHcy.ConclusionInteractions between skeletal-muscle content, NC, and HHcy may affect the incidence of NAFLD in healthcare workers. This may provide a novel approach for diagnosing NAFLD.