The increasing co-occurrence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) highlights the need for early risk stratification. This study aimed to identify predictive metabolic indicators and determine their optimal cut-off values for predicting MAFLD and abnormal fasting blood glucose (FBG) in a health check-up cohort. This cross-sectional study of 3002 participants assessed the severity of hepatic steatosis (ultrasonographic grade 0-5) in individuals with and without MAFLD and FBG. Metabolic indicators were evaluated for correlation and predictive performance using Spearman's correlation, multivariate regression, and ROC analysis. FBG levels weakly correlated with the severity of hepatic steatosis (ρ = 0.285, P 2 (AUC = 0.906), TG ≥ 1.655 mmol/L (AUC = 0.795), and SBP ≥ 132.5 mmHg (AUC = 0.777) (all P < 0.001). This study suggests that routine metabolic indicators-particularly BMI, TG, and SBP-may be valuable for the early identification and risk stratification of MAFLD and abnormal FBG. We recommend initiating comprehensive metabolic management once key indicators become abnormal to strengthen the integrated prevention of MAFLD and T2DM. These findings provide translatable evidence for advancing early warning systems and precision interventions for both conditions.
Qu et al. (2025) studied this question.