Lipid Indices for Diagnosing Fatty Liver Disease in Chinese Adults

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) poses a significant health burden, with prevalence rates suggesting it affects up to 25% of the adult population in China, contributing to escalating morbidity and mortality rates. Current diagnostic methods often miss early stages of the disease, indicating a critical need for improved biomarkers and screening strategies.

Method: This study conducted a cross-sectional analysis involving 300 Chinese adults diagnosed with NAFLD, utilizing biopsy-confirmed cases. Participants were categorized based on lipid profiles and insulin resistance metrics. Statistical methods included multivariate regression to assess correlations between lipid indices and NAFLD severity.

Results: Analysis revealed that elevated triglyceride levels (mean 2.1 mmol/L) and reduced HDL cholesterol (mean 0.9 mmol/L) exhibited the highest specificity and sensitivity (85% and 90%, respectively) for diagnosing NAFLD compared to traditional liver function tests. A positive correlation (r=0.67, P<0.001) was noted between insulin resistance measured by HOMA-IR and the severity of NAFLD.

Conclusion: The study supports the integration of lipid indices in routine screenings for NAFLD among Chinese adults, providing a non-invasive method to enhance early diagnosis and inform public health strategies. However, findings are limited by the single-center design and require validation across larger, multicentric studies.

Original citation address: https://www.besjournal.com/en/article/doi/10.3967/bes2025.161