Sarcopenia is known to be the risk factor of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, studies evaluating the association of skeletal muscle mass (SMM) with liver fibrosis by transient elastography are limited. Here, we investigated the association of SMM with hepatic steatosis and fibrosis assessed in Chinese adults.
Patients who underwent liver ultrasonography at the Health Promotion Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2020 to June 2021 were enrolled. We used transient elastography to evaluate the degree of hepatic fat and liver stiffness. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass was determined by bioelectrical impedance and was adjusted for body weight to derive the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI).
Of 3,602 finally enrolled individuals, 1,830 had NAFLD and 1,772 did not have NAFLD. SMI gradually decreased as the severity of hepatic steatosis increased (40.47 ± 3.94% vs. 39.89 ± 3.57% vs. 39.22 ± 3.46% vs. 37.81 ± 2.84%,
SMI is closely associated with liver fat content and liver fibrosis in Chinese adults with NAFLD.