Sex, Age, and BMI Modulate the Association of Physical Examinations and Blood Biochemistry Parameters and NAFLD: A Retrospective Study on 1994 Cases Observed at Shuguang Hospital, China
Retrospective study reveals demographic factors modulate metabolic risks for NAFLD in Chinese adults, indicating personalized screening benefits.
Key Points
To investigate the relationships between physical examination metrics, blood biochemical parameters, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) risk across demographic subgroups.
Retrospective analysis of N=1994 individuals (57.8% male, 41.2% >50 years, 52.6% BMI ≥24 kg/m²; 986 with NAFLD and 1008 without NAFLD) evaluated at Shuguang Hospital, China.
Collected general physical exam metrics, blood biochemistry panels, and abdominal ultrasound findings, alongside demographic and medical history data.
Employed effect size analyses and multivariable logistic regression modeling to evaluate risk factor associations stratified by sex, age, and BMI.
BMI, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglycerides (TG), and serum uric acid (SUA) showed significant associations with NAFLD status in both sexes, with females exhibiting higher relative risk when older than 50, overweight/obese (BMI ≥24), or presenting with elevated SUA.
Age stratification revealed that elevated SUA drove NAFLD risk in adults over 50, whereas elevated DBP and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) significantly increased risk in individuals younger than 50.
BMI stratification demonstrated that high DBP and low HDL-C were primary risk factors in overweight/obese individuals (BMI ≥24), whereas elevated LDL-C increased NAFLD risk in normal/underweight individuals (BMI <24).