Characterizing Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Lean Individuals at a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Fat accumulation in the liver is affecting 38% of the global population. It can also occur in normal-weight individuals, termed lean non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study examines Asian and Western body mass index (BMI) criteria, as well as metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) diagnostic guidelines, in lean fatty liver cases within a healthcare setting.

Materials and methods: This study was cross-sectional included 111 lean patients diagnosed with NAFLD using either ultrasound or VCTE from January 2023 to March 2024. Anthropometric, laboratory and non-invasive liver fibrosis evaluation parameters were used. The study assessed clinical characteristics and metabolic risk factors of patients with BMI ≤ 23 kg/m² and BMI between 23 and ≤ 25 kg/m² using MASLD and MAFLD diagnostic criteria.

Results: The cohort included NAFLD patients with a mean age of 43.3 years (±13.2 years). Of the participants, 33% were diagnosed through ultrasonography, whereas 67% diagnosis were made via Fibro scan. Majority were male 92 (83%), while females were 19 (17%) of the entire group. The lean NAFLD criteria for Asia and the West were satisfied by 43 (39%) persons with a BMI ≤ 23 kg/m² and 68 (61%) individuals with a BMI between 23 and ≤ 25 kg/m², respectively. The average body mass index (BMI) was 23.0 ± 1.5 kg/m². Diabetes was observed in 16%, hypertension 11%, and ischemic heart disease in 2%. Out of the total individuals, 92 satisfied the MASLD-MAFLD criteria, whereas 18 did not qualify the MAFLD criteria for diagnosis and were classed as MASLD-Alone. Elevated triglycerides, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR ≥ 2), and three or more cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) were significant in the MASLD-MAFLD group compared to the MASLD-Alone group (p < 0.05). Comparing BMI criteria, no significant differences were found in terms of fibrosis between the Western and Asian lean NAFLD BMI criteria's (p = 0.243).

Conclusion: Lean NAFLD is a major global health concern. Applying non-Asian BMI criteria (BMI ≤ 25 kg/m²) for lean Asians improves early detection and intervention for at-risk individuals. Accurate use of MAFLD and MASLD criteria is essential to prevent confusion in diagnosing lean NAFLD. Further multicenter investigations with larger sample numbers are required to corroborate these results in our community.

How to cite this article: Nazir S, Abbas Z, Gazder DP, et al. Characterizing Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Lean Individuals at a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2024;14(2):198-204.