Waist circumference in Liver Disease

Background Central fat accumulation is important in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) etiology. It is unknown weather any commonly used waist circumference (WC) measurement protocol (mp), as whole and central fat accumulation marker, is preferable for patients with NAFLD. The present study sought to find a preferable WC mp to be used in patients with NAFLD, based on three-fold criterion. Material and methods Body fat (BF) was assessed through Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in 28 patients with NAFLD (19 males, 51 + 13 yrs, and 9 females, 47 + 13 yrs). WC was measured using four different WC mp (WC1-narrowest torso, WC2- just above iliac crest, WC3- mid-distance between iliac crest and last rib and WC4- at the umbilicus). Results All WC measurements were highly correlated particularly with central BF depots, including trunk BF (r=0.78; r=0.82; r=0.82; r=0.84; respectively for WC1, WC2, WC3 and WC4) abdominal BF (r=0.78; r=0.78; r=0.80; r=0.72; respectively for WC1, WC2, WC3 and WC4) and central abdominal BF (r=0.76; r=0.77; r=0.78; r=0.68; respectively for WC1, WC2, WC3 and WC4), controlling for age, sex and body mass index. There were no differences between the correlation coefficients obtained between all studied WC measurements and each whole and central analyzed BF variable. Conclusion All studied WC mp seem suitable for use in patients with NAFLD, particularly as central BF clinical assessment tool, though not interchangeably. Hence biological and precision criteria alone did not sanction the superiority of any WC mp. Practical criteria may endorse WC measured at the iliac crest.