Cutoff Value of Metabolic Score for Visceral Fat in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to determine the cutoff values of a novel adiposity index and the metabolic score for visceral fat (METS-VF) for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its related factors.
METHODS: A total of 1603 individuals participated in our checkup program and were retrospectively evaluated between June 2020 and January 2022. Patients who were less than 18 years of age and those with malignancies, hepatitis, HIV, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DM), corticosteroid, parenteral nutrition, or alcohol use were excluded from the study. As a result, 1034 (64.5%) subjects were included in the study. Anthropometric and biochemical values in patient files were used to calculate indexes. Ultrasonography was used for the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis.
RESULTS: Among the 1034 participants, 611 (59.1%) were females. The mean age was 48.7±12.9 years. Metabolic syndrome, DM, and hypertension were identified in 331 (50.5%), 96 (14.7%), and 179 (27.3%) patients with NAFLD, respectively, and in 47 (12.4%), 11 (12.4%), 34 (9.0%) patients without NAFLD (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively). METS-VF cutoff value was 6.43 regardless of gender (sensitivity: 85.1%, specificity: 66.9%, AUC=0.836, p<0.001). When the genders were examined separately, the cutoff value was 6.41 for females (sensitivity: 78.2%, specificity: 82.8%, AUC=0.872, p<0.001) and the cutoff value was 6.91 for males (sensitivity: 79.6%, specificity: 67.9%, AUC=0.813, p<0.001).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The cutoff values of METS-VF in patients with NAFLD were found to be 6.41 in females and 6.91 in males.