The Link between NAFLD and Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by an association of cardiovascular and diabetes mellitus type 2 risk factors. Although the definition of MetS slightly differs depending on the society that described it, its central diagnostic criteria include impaired fasting glucose, low HDL-cholesterol...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Diagnostics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/4/614 |
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| author | Fabiana Radu Claudia-Gabriela Potcovaru Teodor Salmen Petruța Violeta Filip Corina Pop Carmen Fierbințeanu-Braticievici |
| author_facet | Fabiana Radu Claudia-Gabriela Potcovaru Teodor Salmen Petruța Violeta Filip Corina Pop Carmen Fierbințeanu-Braticievici |
| author_sort | Fabiana Radu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by an association of cardiovascular and diabetes mellitus type 2 risk factors. Although the definition of MetS slightly differs depending on the society that described it, its central diagnostic criteria include impaired fasting glucose, low HDL-cholesterol, elevated triglycerides levels and high blood pressure. Insulin resistance (IR) is believed to be the main cause of MetS and is connected to the level of visceral or intra-abdominal adipose tissue, which could be assessed either by calculating body mass index or by measuring waist circumference. Most recent studies revealed that IR may also be present in non-obese patients, and considered visceral adiposity to be the main effector of MetS’ pathology. Visceral adiposity is strongly linked with hepatic fatty infiltration also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), therefore, the level of fatty acids in the hepatic parenchyma is indirectly linked with MetS, being both a cause and a consequence of this syndrome. Taking into consideration the present pandemic of obesity and its tendency to drift towards a progressively earlier onset due to the Western lifestyle, it leads to an increased NAFLD incidence. Novel therapeutic resources are lifestyle intervention with physical activity, Mediterranean diet, or therapeutic surgical respective metabolic and bariatric surgery or drugs such as SGLT-2i, GLP-1 Ra or vitamin E. NAFLD early diagnosis is important due to its easily available diagnostic tools such as non-invasive tools: clinical and laboratory variables (serum biomarkers): AST to platelet ratio index, fibrosis-4, NAFLD Fibrosis Score, BARD Score, fibro test, enhanced liver fibrosis; imaging-based biomarkers: Controlled attenuation parameter, magnetic resonance imaging proton-density fat fraction, transient elastography (TE) or vibration controlled TE, acoustic radiation force impulse imaging, shear wave elastography, magnetic resonance elastography; and the possibility to prevent its complications, respectively, fibrosis, hepato-cellular carcinoma or liver cirrhosis which can develop into end-stage liver disease. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:57:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e81d299397a04676b8530f1954dbee4f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:57:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj.art-e81d299397a04676b8530f1954dbee4f2023-11-16T20:00:26ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182023-02-0113461410.3390/diagnostics13040614The Link between NAFLD and Metabolic SyndromeFabiana Radu0Claudia-Gabriela Potcovaru1Teodor Salmen2Petruța Violeta Filip3Corina Pop4Carmen Fierbințeanu-Braticievici5Doctoral School, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaDoctoral School, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaDoctoral School, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine, Clinical Emergency University Hospital, 050098 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine, Clinical Emergency University Hospital, 050098 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Emergency University Hospital Bucharest, 050098 Bucharest, RomaniaMetabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by an association of cardiovascular and diabetes mellitus type 2 risk factors. Although the definition of MetS slightly differs depending on the society that described it, its central diagnostic criteria include impaired fasting glucose, low HDL-cholesterol, elevated triglycerides levels and high blood pressure. Insulin resistance (IR) is believed to be the main cause of MetS and is connected to the level of visceral or intra-abdominal adipose tissue, which could be assessed either by calculating body mass index or by measuring waist circumference. Most recent studies revealed that IR may also be present in non-obese patients, and considered visceral adiposity to be the main effector of MetS’ pathology. Visceral adiposity is strongly linked with hepatic fatty infiltration also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), therefore, the level of fatty acids in the hepatic parenchyma is indirectly linked with MetS, being both a cause and a consequence of this syndrome. Taking into consideration the present pandemic of obesity and its tendency to drift towards a progressively earlier onset due to the Western lifestyle, it leads to an increased NAFLD incidence. Novel therapeutic resources are lifestyle intervention with physical activity, Mediterranean diet, or therapeutic surgical respective metabolic and bariatric surgery or drugs such as SGLT-2i, GLP-1 Ra or vitamin E. NAFLD early diagnosis is important due to its easily available diagnostic tools such as non-invasive tools: clinical and laboratory variables (serum biomarkers): AST to platelet ratio index, fibrosis-4, NAFLD Fibrosis Score, BARD Score, fibro test, enhanced liver fibrosis; imaging-based biomarkers: Controlled attenuation parameter, magnetic resonance imaging proton-density fat fraction, transient elastography (TE) or vibration controlled TE, acoustic radiation force impulse imaging, shear wave elastography, magnetic resonance elastography; and the possibility to prevent its complications, respectively, fibrosis, hepato-cellular carcinoma or liver cirrhosis which can develop into end-stage liver disease.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/4/614metabolic syndromeinsulin resistanceNAFLDearly diagnosishepatocellular carcinoma |
| spellingShingle | Fabiana Radu Claudia-Gabriela Potcovaru Teodor Salmen Petruța Violeta Filip Corina Pop Carmen Fierbințeanu-Braticievici The Link between NAFLD and Metabolic Syndrome Diagnostics metabolic syndrome insulin resistance NAFLD early diagnosis hepatocellular carcinoma |
| title | The Link between NAFLD and Metabolic Syndrome |
| title_full | The Link between NAFLD and Metabolic Syndrome |
| title_fullStr | The Link between NAFLD and Metabolic Syndrome |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Link between NAFLD and Metabolic Syndrome |
| title_short | The Link between NAFLD and Metabolic Syndrome |
| title_sort | link between nafld and metabolic syndrome |
| topic | metabolic syndrome insulin resistance NAFLD early diagnosis hepatocellular carcinoma |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/4/614 |
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