Hormonal
Higher hepatic fat content, estimated by the Fatty Liver Index (FLI > 60), is independently associated with increased insulin resistance, higher coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, and early carotid atherosclerosis (increased intima media thickness) in middle-aged, nondiabetic adults.
If you are generally healthy but have a high Fatty Liver Index (calculated via waist, BMI, triglycerides, and liver enzymes), you likely have underlying insulin resistance and early signs of arterial thickening, even if your blood sugar and blood pressure are normal. Addressing liver fat through lifestyle changes can mitigate these hidden cardiovascular risks.
In middle-age nondiabetic subjects, increased IMT, CHD risk, and reduced insulin sensitivity are associated with high values of FLI.
Why this rating
Large sample size (n=1,307), rigorous gold-standard insulin sensitivity measurement (clamp), and multivariate adjustments, but cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
Source
Fatty liver is associated with insulin resistance, risk of coronary heart disease, and early atherosclerosis in a large European population #
Amalia Gastaldelli et al. · Hepatology · 2009
DOI 10.1002/hep.22845
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