The Perirenal Fat Thickness Was Associated with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

PURPOSE: Obesity is an important risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Perirenal fat and paranephric fat were seldom studied in NAFLD. We aimed to explore the relationship between perirenal fat thickness (PrFT) and paranephric fat thickness (PnFT) and NAFLD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 493 diabetic patients including 231 NAFLD patients were enrolled in our study from September 2019 to December 2020. Patients with NAFLD were categorized into three subgroups according to the severity and fibrosis risk of NAFLD. Anthropometric indices and clinical characteristics were collected from clinical records. PrFT and PnFT were measured via ultrasound. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between PrFT, PnFT and presence, severity and advanced fibrosis risk of NAFLD. RESULTS: Compared with non-NAFLD patients, those with NAFLD had significantly higher PrFT and PnFT. The PrFT and PnFT were independently associated with presence of NAFLD and the PrFT was independently associated with the advanced fibrosis risk of NAFLD after adjusting confounding factors. CONCLUSION: The PrFT was independently associated with the presence and advanced fibrosis risk of NAFLD in patients with T2DM.