The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between fatty liver (FL), abdominal obesity, and metabolic syndrome (MetS). A total of 3058 adults who underwent health examinations in 2005 were enrolled. MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Educational Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. The relationship between FL, abdominal obesity, and MetS was analyzed using multiple logistic regression. The authors found that participants with FL alone [FL(+)/abdominal obesity(−)] had a significantly higher odds ratio for hyperglycemia (odds ratio [OR] = 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5-3.3), hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.6-3.0), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.6-3.2) and a clustering of MetS components (OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.8-3.4) compared with participants with only abdominal obesity [FL(−)/abdominal obesity(+)]. Participants who had FL and abdominal obesity [FL(+)/abdominal obesity(+)] had the highest odds ratio for developing MetS and its components. It is concluded that FL is associated with the components of MetS independent of abdominal obesity. For nonabdominally obese patients, FL provides important information on MetS.
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