A Correlation Study Between Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Serum Triglyceride Level After an Oral Fat Tolerance Test

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. High postprandial serum lipid concentrations have been reported in patients with metabolic syndrome. Meanwhile, postprandial triglyceride (TG) was found to be a potential replacement when fasting TG is not available. We aimed to investigate the relationship between postprandial TG concentration during oral fat tolerance testing (OFTT) and NAFLD. Methods: A total of 472 Chinese adults, aged 25 to 65 years enrolled in this study. All the participants underwent OFTT. Serum triglyceride and other lipid concentrations were measured, and their relationships with NAFLD were analyzed. Results: : Of the 472 participants, 155 were diagnosed with NAFLD. The fasting and postprandial TG concentrations of the participants with NAFLD were higher than those of healthy participants ( P <0.05). The TG concentrations of the healthy participants peaked 4 h postprandially, whereas those of the participants with NAFLD peaked 6 h postprandially and had higher peak values. Postprandial triglyceride concentration showed significant association with higher risk of NAFLD. Conclusions: : Higher postprandial TG concentration is positively related to higher risk of NAFLD, and postprandial TG concnetrations of NAFLD patients were higher than healthy individuals with a delayed peak time. Hence, 4h postprandial TG maybe a potential indicator for NAFLD. Trial registration number: ChiCTR1800019514