Abstract



Background and objectives: Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. The measurement of body composition may help in the prediction of hepatic steatosis. This work aimed to correlate the clinical and body composition parameters on one hand and the steatosis degree assessed by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and to detect the factors predicting advanced steatosis in MASLD patients.



Methodology: This cross-sectional hospital-based study included 80 adults with MASLD. Participants were clinically examined to detect buffalo hump, double chin, acanthosis nigricans, skin tags, and xanthelasma, laboratory investigations including a lipid profile, fibroscan and CAP measurement, and bio-electrical impedance analysis (BIA) to evaluate body composition. According to CAP, patients were categorized into S1, S2, and S3 groups.



Results: We included 41 males and 39 females, with a mean age of 41.62±8.57 years. Double chin, acanthosis nigricans, waist circumference (WC), mid-arm circumference (MAC), body fat mass, BMI, percent body fat (PBF), abdomen fat %, waist-hip ratio (WHR), visceral fat level, and obesity degree were significantly higher in S3 group. Higher MAC, and grade II and III fatty liver by ultrasound were independent predictors of severe steatosis.



Conclusions: Double, acanthosis nigricans, WC, MAC, body fat mass, BMI, PBF, abdomen fat %, WHR, visceral fat level, and obesity degree are significantly associated with severe steatosis. Thus, clinical phenotypes and body composition analysis by the BIA technique may provide non-invasive tools that possibly predict severe steatosis.