Visceral adiposity index as a predictor of NAFLD: A prospective study with 4-year follow-up

Background & Aims Although evidence indicates that visceral adipose tissue is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), it is unclear whether the visceral adiposity index (VAI) can predict the onset of NAFLD. This study aimed to determine whether the VAI is an independent risk factor of NAFLD and whether there is a dose-response relationship. Methods Results We explored the relationship between VAI levels and NAFLD in a health check-up cohort established in 2012. There were 4809 subjects with baseline data and results from 4 follow-up examinations. The diagnosis of NAFLD was established by demonstration of increased hepatic echogenicity with ultrasound and exclusion of alcohol overconsumption with questionnaires. We divided the subjects into 4 groups according to baseline VAI levels and used the Cox hazard regression model to estimate NAFLD risk by VAI quartile at baseline by adjusting for potential confounding factors. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the risk of NAFLD incidence among individuals in each VAI quartile. The 4-year cumulative incidence of NAFLD in this cohort was 13.9%. The hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals, 95% CI) for NAFLD in the second, third and fourth VAI quartiles compared with the first quartile were 1.42 (95% CI: 1.24-1.64), 1.73 (95% CI: 1.51-1.99) and 2.13(95% CI: 1.86-2.45) respectively. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis suggested that higher VAI levels predict higher incidences of NAFLD in a dose-dependent relationship. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the VAI level is an independent risk factor of NAFLD and there is a dose-response relationship between VAI level and NAFLD risk.