Research
Macro partitioning
Lean individuals can develop NAFLD due to visceral adiposity and insulin resistance, and this condition carries similar risks of fibrosis and NASH as obesity-related NAFLD.
Even if you are lean, you can still have fatty liver disease, especially if you are of Asian descent. This is often due to hidden visceral fat. Because lean NAFLD can still lead to serious liver damage (NASH and fibrosis), you should get screened if you have risk factors like family history or metabolic issues, regardless of your weight.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
NAFLD can occur in lean individuals, especially in Asian populations, who display increased visceral adipose tissue and IR at lower BMI thresholds... The frequency of NASH and stage ≥2 fibrosis in nonobese NAFLD is 40% and 30%, respectively, and neither appear to correlate with obesity.
Why this rating
Based on meta-analyses and observational studies cited.
Source
<scp>Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease</scp> as a metabolic disease in humans: A literature review
Bertrand Cariou et al. · Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism · 2021
narrative_reviewCited 167×
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