Low serum vitamin D concentrations are associated with obese but not lean NAFLD: a cross-sectional study

Background A low serum vitamin D concentration has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, whether lean or obese individuals show a similar association between vitamin D and NAFLD remains speculative. This study aimed to explore the relationship between serum vitamin D concentration and NAFLD in lean and obese Chinese adults. Methods This cross-sectional study included 2538 participants (1360 men and 1178 women) who underwent health checkups at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in 2019. NAFLD was diagnosed by liver ultrasound excluding other causes. The association of serum vitamin D concentration with NAFLD was analyzed in lean and obese participants. Results The overall prevalence of NAFLD was 33.61% (13.10% in lean and 53.32% in obese) in this study population. The serum vitamin D levels of obese NAFLD patients were lower than those of obese NAFLD-free controls. However, the serum vitamin D levels of lean NAFLD patients were comparable to those of lean NAFLD-free controls. Serum vitamin D level was negatively correlated with the prevalence of NAFLD in obese but not lean participants. Serum vitamin D level was independently associated with the risk of NAFLD in obese participants, with an adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of 0.987 (0.981-0.993). However, serum vitamin D level was not related to the risk of NAFLD in lean participants. Conclusions A low serum vitamin D level is associated with NAFLD in obese but not lean participants.

Automated summary

This study found that a low serum vitamin D level is associated with NAFLD in obese participants but not in lean participants. Obese individuals with NAFLD had lower levels of serum vitamin D compared to obese individuals without NAFLD. Serum vitamin D level was negatively correlated with NAFLD prevalence in obese participants, and independently associated with NAFLD risk in this group.