Remnant Lipoprotein Cholesterol as a Factor Related to Adult Fatty Liver Disease

Context Dyslipidemia is related to fatty liver disease (FLD), whose relationship with remnant lipoprotein cholesterol (RLP-C), a component of blood lipids, remains unclear. Objective To clarify the correlation between RLP-C and the occurrence and severity of FLD and establish an FLD discriminant model based on health check indicators. Methods Retrospective study of participants who underwent health check-up in the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University (Shenyang, China) between January and December 2019. We categorized participants according to liver ultrasound results and analyzed the correlation between RLP-C and occurrence of FLD (n = 38 885) through logistic regression, restricted cubic spline, and receiver operating characteristic curve. We categorized the severity of FLD according to the control attenuation parameter and analyzed the correlation between RLP-C and FLD severity through multiple logistic regression; only males were included (n = 564). Results The adjusted OR (aOR) per SD between RLP-C and FLD was 2.33 (95% CI 2.21-2.46, P < .001), indicating a dose-response relationship (P < .0001). The optimal cut-off value of RLP-C was 0.45 mmol/L and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.79. The AUC of the 8-variable model was 0.89 in both the training and the validation sets. FLD severity was related to the level of RLP-C (aOR per SD = 1.29, 95% CI 1.07-1.55, P = .008). Conclusion RLP-C has a strong positive correlation with FLD occurrence and FLD severity. These results may help clinicians identify and implement interventions in individuals with high FLD risk and reduce FLD prevalence.

Automated summary

The study found a significant positive correlation between RLP-C and both the occurrence and severity of FLD, which may assist clinicians in identifying individuals at high risk for FLD and implementing interventions to reduce FLD prevalence.