Non-obese non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is correlated with type 2 diabetes in Chinese adults

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in non-obese individuals (non-obese NAFLD) is correlated with multiple metabolic abnormalities, while its relationship with type 2 diabetes has yet to be fully evaluated. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between non-obese NAFLD and type 2 diabetes in Chinese adults. Methods: : This was a cross-sectional study involving 2037 non-obese individuals ( body mass index（BMI）＜25kg/m 2 ). Clinical parameters were determined while the diagnosis of NAFLD was done by ultrasonography. Results: : The non-obese NAFLD prevalent in the present study was 15.6%. Non-obese NAFLD patients had elevated BMI, blood pressure, triglycerides (TG), blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and insulin resistance levels than those without NAFLD. Furthermore, the incidence of type 2 diabetes was markedly elevated in the non-obese NAFLD group, relative to control group (29.7% and 11.2%, respectively). After adjustment of confounding factors (age, BMI, sex, lipid profiles, blood pressure and insulin resistance), the odd ratio (95% CI) for diabetes were 2.37 (1.69–3.31) in non-obese NAFLD group. Subgroup analysis showed that sex, age, BMI and TG did not change the association between type 2 diabetes and non-obese NAFLD. Conclusions: : Non-obese NAFLD is closely related with type 2 diabetes independent of other metabolic factors.