title: Prevalence and Factors Associated with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a Nonobese Korean Population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging problem in Asia, but little is known about the disease in the nonobese population. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of NAFLD and the factors associated with it in a nonobese Korean population and to compare the clinical characteristics of nonobese and obese subjects with NAFLD.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study used data from 2,058 subjects who participated in a medical checkup program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of NAFLD was 12.4% (213/1,711) in the nonobese population. A higher body mass index (BMI), higher homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values, higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, triglyceride concentrations ≥150 mg/dL, and hyperuricemia were independently associated with the presence of NAFLD in the nonobese subjects. Compared with the obese subjects with NAFLD, the nonobese subjects with NAFLD were composed of a higher proportion of females and had lower BMIs, smaller waist circumferences, lower HOMA-IR values, and fewer metabolic irregularities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher BMIs, HOMA-IR values, ALT levels, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperuricemia were associated with NAFLD in the nonobese subjects. Clinicians should be particularly aware of the possibility of NAFLD in nonobese Asian people.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Chin
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000886:Anthropometry; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000150:complications; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000150:complications; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Nonobese population