Severity of ultrasonographic liver steatosis and metabolic syndrome in Korean men and women.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between the severity of liver steatosis and metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy Korean adults.


METHODS
We examined 1 022 men and women, aged 30-79 years, who participated in a health screening test. A standard interview, anthropometrics, biochemical studies, and abdominal ultrasonography were conducted for each participant. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III, with a modification for the waist circumference cut-off level. The severity of liver steatosis was evaluated using liver ultrasonography, and serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma-GT) levels were determined.


RESULTS
Ultrasonographic liver steatosis was strongly associated with metabolic syndrome and common metabolic abnormalities. Compared with people without steatosis, people with mild, moderate, and severe steatosis had adjusted odds ratios for metabolic syndrome of 1.72 (95%CI, 1.01-2.94), 2.89 (1.75-4.76) and 3.53 (1.25-9.98) in men, and 2.86 (1.64-5.01), 3.19 (1.80-5.65) and 3.70 (0.82-16.73) in women, respectively. The serum AST level was not associated with metabolic syndrome. The serum ALT and gamma-GT levels were significantly associated with metabolic syndrome in men but not in women.


CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence of metabolic syndrome shows a stronger association with the severity of ultrasonographic steatosis than with the serum liver enzyme levels. The degree of fatty infiltration detected on ultrasonography can be used as an indicator of liver dysfunction attributable to metabolic abnormalities.
Kim
Hyeon-Chang
HC
San-5 Wonchon-dong Youngtong-gu, Suwon 443-721, South Korea.
Choi
Sung-Hee
SH
Shin
Hae-Won
HW
Cheong
Jae-Youn
JY
Lee
Kwan-Woo
KW
Lee
Hyun-Chul
HC
Huh
Kap-Bum
KB
Kim
Dae-Jung
DJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014463:Ultrasonography