ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the association of lipid accumulation product (LAP) and visceral fat index (VAI) with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the value of LAP and VAI in predicting the risk of NAFLD. Methods A total of 708 subjects who underwent physical examination in China-Japan Friendship Hospital from September 2018 to May 2019 were enrolled and divided into NAFLD group ( n =426) and non-NAFLD group ( n =282), and the two groups were compared in terms of LAP, VAI, and related biochemical parameters. The independent samples t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups.The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Spearman test was used for correlation analysis. The subjects were divided into L1-L4 groups based on LAP and V1-V4 groups based on VAI, and the distribution of NAFLD was compared between groups; a logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the risk of NAFLD at different levels of LAP and VAI, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted for LAP, VAI, waist circumference (WC), and body mass index (BMI) in predicting NAFLD in different sex and body weight subgroups, so as to evaluate the value of each index in the prediction and diagnosis of NAFLD. Results Compared with the non-NAFLD group, the NAFLD group had significantly higher age, proportion of male subjects, proportion of subjects with a smoking history, and levels of LAP, VAI, WC, BMI, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, and serum uric acid, as well as a significantly lower level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (all P 0.7 in predicting the onset of NAFLD in different sex and body weight subgroups; the AUCs of LAP and VAI in the female subgroup were significantly higher than those in the male subgroup (LAP: 0.886 vs 0.785, P < 0.05; VAI: 0.824 vs 0.748, P < 0.05), and the corresponding sensitivities and specificities of LAP and VAI in the female subgroup were also higher than those in the male subgroup (sensitivity: LAP: 79.8% vs 63.7%; VAI: 77.9% vs 77.0%; specificity: LAP: 85.0% vs 81.1%; VAI: 77.6% vs 62.3%). Conclusion The risk of NAFLD increases with the increase in the levels of LAP and VAI. Both LAP and VAI have a good value in predicting NAFLD in different sex and body weight subgroups, especially in predicting NAFLD in the female population.