Comparison of the diagnostic values of different anthropometric indicators for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease

Abstract

Abstract: Objective To evaluate the correlations between traditional anthropometric indicators and new abdominal obesity indicators with metabolic-dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and to analyze and compare their diagnostic values. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. The included population was those who underwent physical examinations at the Health Management Center of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 1, 2021 to September 15, 2024. General information, medical history, laboratory examination results and imaging examination results of the selected subjects were collected through the hospital′s health examination database. According to whether MAFLD was detected or not, the subjects were divided into the MAFLD group and the control group. Univariate tests (two independent sample t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests), chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the risk factors for MAFLD. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to analyze and compare the diagnostic values of the significant factors for MAFLD. Results A total of 2 118 subjects were included. The prevalence rate of MAFLD was 24.22%, with that in men (32.72%) being higher than that in women (11.83%), and that in the normal body mass index (BMI) group (4.76%) being lower than that in the overweight and obese group (45.82%). The differences between groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). Traditional indicators [waist circumference (WC), BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)], and new indicators [abdominal volume index (AVI), body roundness index (BRI), body adiposity index (BAI), a body shape index (ABSI), conicity index (C-index),weight-adjusted waist index (WWI)] were all associated with the occurrence of MAFLD. Among them, the AUC values of AVI, BRI, WC, WHtR and BMI were all greater than 0.80, which had good predictive efficacy for MAFLD, indicating that the new indicators had no obvious advantages compared with the traditional indicators. However, among the new indicators, the abdominal volume index (AVI) showed the strongest diagnostic value [AUC=0.874 (95％CI:0.859~0.890)], and its value for the female population [AUC=0.908 (95％CI:0.881~0.935)] was better than that for the male population [AUC=0.839 (95％CI:0.816~0.860)]. Conclusion AVI, BRI, WC, WHtR and BMI can predict the occurrence of MAFLD fairly well. AVI and WC have the strongest diagnostic value, especially in the female population.

Key words: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, Anthropometric indicators, Diagnostic values

ZHANG Yue-xia, WANG Yu, FENG Yan-ping, GAO Yan. Comparison of the diagnostic values of different anthropometric indicators for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease[J]. Chinese Hepatolgy, 2026, 31(1): 75-80.

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