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. 2023 Aug 3;28(1):263.
doi: 10.1186/s40001-023-01205-4.

Association of weight-adjusted-waist index with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis: a cross-sectional study based on NHANES

Qinggang Hu #  1   2 , Kexing Han #  1 , Jiapei Shen #  1 , Weijie Sun  1 , Long Gao  3 , Yufeng Gao  4
Affiliations

Association of weight-adjusted-waist index with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis: a cross-sectional study based on NHANES

Qinggang Hu et al. Eur J Med Res. .

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore the association of weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI) with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fibrosis.

Methods: A cross-sectional study including 6587 participants was conducted in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Multiple linear regression was used to validate the association of WWI with NAFLD and liver fibrosis, and smoothed curve fitting and threshold effect models were used to validate non-linear relationships. Subgroup analyses were used to verify the stability of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables in different populations.

Results: There was a positive association of WWI with NAFLD and liver fibrosis. In the model adjusted for all covariates, the effect values of WWI with NAFLD and liver fibrosis were (OR = 3.44, 95% CI: 3.09-3.82) and (OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 2.05-2.79), respectively. This positive correlation became more significant as WWI increased when WWI was presented in quartiles (P for trend < 0.01). Smoothed curve fitting and threshold effects analysis suggested a non-linear correlation between WWI and NAFLD (LLR < 0.01), with the positive correlation between WWI and NAFLD becoming more significant when WWI was less than 11.44 [5.93 (95% CI: 5.04-6.98)]. However, there was a linear correlation between WWI and liver fibrosis (LLR = 0.291). When subgroup analyses were performed by indicators such as age, race and gender, we found that the positive association between WWI and the dependent variables (NAFLD and liver fibrosis) was more pronounced in white male participants aged < 40 years.

Conclusions: Among adults in the United States, WWI was positively associated with the prevalence of NAFLD and liver fibrosis. Participants with a WWI less than 11.44 should be cautious about the possibility of an increased risk of NAFLD development due to a higher WWI. Meanwhile, white males younger than 40 years of age should be more cautious about the higher risk of NAFLD and liver fibrosis that might be associated with an increased WWI.

Keywords: Cross-sectional study; Liver fibrosis; National health and nutrition examination survey; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Weight-adjusted waist index.

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Conflict of interest statement

Researchers declare that there were no commercial or financial relationships that might pose a conflict of interest in their research. No competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart for participants
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The association between WWI and NAFLD. a Each black point represents a sample. b Solid red line represents the smooth curve fit between variables. Blue bands represent the 95% of confidence interval from the fit. All the covariates in Table 1 are adjusted
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The association between WWI and liver fibrosis. a Each black point represents a sample. b Solid red line represents the smooth curve fit between variables. Blue bands represent the 95% of confidence interval from the fit. All the covariates in Table 1 are adjusted
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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