Visceral Adipose Tissue and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

AIM: To explore the association of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study comprising 100 patients with T2DM and 100 non-T2DM individuals, matched for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Transient elastography was used to assess hepatic steatosis and liver stiffness measurements (LSM). Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) was used to quantify hepatic steatosis. To distinguish grades of hepatic steatosis, cutoff values were as follows: S1 ≥ 302, S2 ≥ 331, and S3 ≥ 337 dB/m. Moreover, VAT area was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in accordance with validated protocols. RESULTS: , P = 0.009. However, total and truncal fat mass were not different between the two groups. Age, BMI, waist circumference, ALT, CAP, and LSM were significantly associated with VAT area. BMI and VAT area were the important determinants of steatosis in both groups of participants with and without T2DM. Moreover, the VAT area was associated with the severity of hepatic steatosis and liver stiffness, independent of anthropometric measures of obesity. CONCLUSION: VAT area is a major determinant of the severity of hepatic steatosis and liver stiffness in patient with T2DM.