Preperitoneal fat thickness as a potential noninvasive marker for metabolic-associated liver disease: A retrospective study
Abstract
The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is steadily increasing and visceral adiposity plays a pivotal role in its development. The maximum preperitoneal fat thickness (PMFT) and abdominal fat index (AFI), when measured via ultrasound, are practical, cost-effective, and reliable indices that best estimate visceral fat area, as measured by CT. This study aimed to explore the relationship between MASLD and PMFT by using ultrasound, a noninvasive and dependable diagnostic modality. This retrospective study used data from patients consecutively evaluated for MASLD at the Hepatology Clinic of Dr Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Hospital between July and December 2024. PMFT, AFI, and minimum subcutaneous fat thickness (SMFT) values were compared between patients with and without a diagnosis of MASLD. As the PMFT and AFI parameters are interrelated variables, they were analyzed using 2 separate regression models. Independent variables considered risk factors for MASLD (age, sex, exercise, PMFT, and AFI) were included in the binary logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) values for PMFT, AFI, and SMFT to evaluate their ability to distinguish between MASLD and non-MASLD cases. This study included 130 patients, 71 diagnosed with MASLD and 59 without MASLD. In the regression analysis, MASLD was positively associated with PMFT (odds ratio [OR] = 33.626, 95%…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 130 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Multifocal clonal evolution characterized using circulating tumour DNA in a case of metastatic breast cancer
- What are the causes of late-life depression?
- Identification of SOX3 as an XX male sex reversal gene in mice and humans
- Retrospective study of concussive convulsions in elite Australian rules and rugby league footballers: phenomenology, aetiology, and outcome
- Uveal melanomas presenting during pregnancy and the investigation of oestrogen receptors in melanomas
- Metabolic and pathologic profiles of human LSS deficiency recapitulated in mice
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.