title: Fatty liver index in polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) frequently suffer from metabolic disturbances and might be affected by hepatic steatosis. The fatty liver index (FLI) was developed as a simple and accurate predictor of hepatic steatosis. We aimed to analyze the association of FLI with endocrine and metabolic parameters in a cohort of PCOS and control women.
  
  
  METHODS
  FLI was calculated using body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, triglycerides, and gamma-glutamyl transferase in 611 PCOS and 139 BMI-matched control women within the same age range. Elevated FLI was defined as >60. Metabolic, endocrine, and anthropometric measurements and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PCOS women had significantly higher FLI levels than control women in age-adjusted analyses (11.4 (4.3-48.8) and 8.8 (3.9-35.0), respectively, P=0.001), whereas fibrosis indices were similar (aspartate amino transferase-to-platelet ratio index) or lower (FIB-4) respectively. In binary logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, odds ratio (OR) for elevated FLI was 2.52 (1.31-4.85), P=0.006, for PCOS women when compared with controls. PCOS women with high FLI levels had an adverse anthropometric, metabolic, and endocrine risk profile. The prevalence of elevated FLI was 88.7% in PCOS women with metabolic syndrome (MS) and 11.3% in PCOS women without MS (P<0.001). In control women, elevated FLI was present in 66.7% of women with MS and 30.8% of women without MS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High FLI levels are a common finding in obese PCOS women and are closely linked to MS. FLI calculation might be a useful tool for identifying PCOS patients at high risk for metabolic and hepatic disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Physiological Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 15, Graz, Austria. elisabeth.lerchbaum@medunigraz.at
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lerchbaum
authors.forename: Hans-Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schwetz
authors.forename: Albrecht
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Pieber
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Obermayer-Pietsch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase