Fatty Liver Index Associates with Relative Sarcopenia and GH/IGF-1 Status in Obese Subjects

Introduction Recently the association between hepatic steatosis and sarcopenia has been described. GH/IGF-1 axis has been postulated to play a role in linking fatty liver and low muscle mass. The aim of our study was to explore the association between fatty liver index, sarcopenic obesity, insulin sensitivity, and GH/IGF-1 status. Methods 427 subjects [age: 45.65 +/- 13.94 years, BMI: 36.92 +/- 6.43 kg/m(2)] were enrolled. Participants were divided into three groups: fatty liver index (FLI) < 20, 20 >= FLI < 60, and FLI >= 60. Body composition was assessed by DXA. The truncal fat mass (TrFM) to appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) ratio was used as an indicator of sarcopenic obesity. ISI-Matsuda index was used. Results BMI, fat mass, and the TrFM/ASM ratio were higher in subjects with FLI >= 60. GH, IGF-1 and ISI-Matsuda were lower in the high FLI group (all p < 0.05). A significantly positive correlation between FLI and TrFM/ASM ratio (r = 0.221, p < 0.001) was found, whereas FLI levels were negatively correlated with ISI-Matsuda (r = -0.335, p < 0.001), GH (r = -0.200, p = 0.006), and IGF-1 levels (r = -0.157, p = 0.028). Stepwise linear regression analysis showed that GH levels were significantly negatively correlated with FLI, while the TrFM/ASM ratio was positively associated with FLI, after adjustment for age, BMI, total fat mass, truncal fat mass, fat-free mass, and ISI-Matsuda. Conclusions Impairment of GH/IGF-1 axis seems to be associated to the risk of the development of sarcopenic obesity and ectopic fat deposition in the liver. Metabolic and hormonal derangements as determinants of ectopic fat deposition and body composition deserve to be evaluated in obese subjects.