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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Thyroid Endocrinology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1526198
Free Triiodothyronine and Triglyceride-glucose Index Interaction on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease Risk in Euthyroid individuals
Provisionally accepted- 1Department of Geriatrics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- 2Department of Geriatrics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- 3Department of Health Management Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- 4State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
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The link between thyroid function and insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD) is becoming increasingly recognized. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between free triiodothyronine (FT3) levels, the triglycerides-glucose (TyG) index, and the likelihood of MASLD in euthyroid individuals. A cross-sectional analysis of 18,298 euthyroid individuals was conducted, comparing 6,144 with MASLD to 12,154 controls. The study evaluated indicators related to clinical, metabolic, and thyroid function. The combined effect of the FT3 and TyG index on the likelihood of MASLD was assessed using logistic regression. The MASLD group presented with higher male prevalence, older age, and increased rates of hypertension and diabetes. Significant correlations were observed between FT3, TyG, and metabolic parameters.After controlling for potential confounders, FT3 remained significantly associated with increased MASLD risk (adjusted OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.23-1.49; P < 0.001).Similarly, the TyG index was independently associated with higher MASLD risk (adjusted OR = 3.99, 95% CI: 3.40-4.68; P < 0.001). The high FT3 (≥ 4.98 pmol/L) /high TyG (≥ 8.55) group exhibited significantly elevated MASLD risk compared to the low FT3/low TyG group (OR = 5.38, 95% CI: 4.62-6.26; P < 0.001). In conclusion, elevated FT3 and TyG index are independently associated with an increased risk of MASLD, and they exhibit a significant synergistic additive interaction.
Keywords: free triiodothyronine, triglycerides-glucose index, Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, Cross-sectional study, Additive interaction
Received: 11 Nov 2024; Accepted: 07 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gao, Cui, Pan, Mu, Zhou and Hu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Weihong Zhou, Department of Health Management Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
Yun Hu, Department of Geriatrics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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