Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now redefined as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is a major contributor to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma with substantial socioeconomic impact. It is linked closely to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), reflecting the liver’s response to metabolic dysfunction. NAFLD diagnosis traditionally relies on liver biopsy, but non-invasive techniques like transient elastography offer valuable insights into liver stiffness and steatosis. The cardiometabolic index (CMI), a metric combining waist-to-height ratio and triglyceride-to-HDL ratio, has emerged as a promising predictor of NAFLD and metabolic conditions.
A recent study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found significant correlations between CMI and both NAFLD and liver fibrosis. Participants with higher CMI values were more likely to have NAFLD and advanced liver fibrosis, and the CMI demonstrated good predictive accuracy in identifying these conditions. These findings underscore the potential of CMI as a diagnostic tool, particularly in non-invasive screening, though further research is needed to validate these results across diverse populations and refine its clinical application.
Reference: Yan L, Hu X, Wu S, et al. Association between the cardiometabolic index and NAFLD and fibrosis. Sci Rep. 2024 Jun 8;14(1):13194. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-64034-3. PMID: 38851771; PMCID: PMC11162484.
