Association between lipid accumulation product and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with normal weight: a population-based study

BackgroundPrevious studies have indicated that Lipid accumulation product (LAP) can serve as a predictor for various metabolic diseases. However, the relationship between LAP and Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in individuals with normal weight remains unclear.MethodsThis study involves a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lingde Shen, Yuanfang Lin, Weifeng Chen, Hui Peng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1565997/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849233010264637440
author Lingde Shen
Yuanfang Lin
Weifeng Chen
Hui Peng
author_facet Lingde Shen
Yuanfang Lin
Weifeng Chen
Hui Peng
author_sort Lingde Shen
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundPrevious studies have indicated that Lipid accumulation product (LAP) can serve as a predictor for various metabolic diseases. However, the relationship between LAP and Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in individuals with normal weight remains unclear.MethodsThis study involves a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study conducted among a Japanese population consisting of 10,391 participants with normal weight, spanning from 2004 to 2015. LAP is determined by utilizing Waist circumference (WC) and Triglyceride (TG) levels. Participants were categorized into groups based on LAP quartiles. We performed an analysis of the association between LAP and NAFLD using Cox proportional-hazard regression, smooth curve fitting, and sensitivity analyses. Prediction accuracy was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) analysis, sensitivity, and specificity, using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves.ResultsThe analysis revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between LAP and normal-weight NAFLD (P < 0.01). Following adjustment for various covariates in the full models, LAP was found to be associated with NAFLD (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.04–1.08, P < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis was conducted by categorizing LAP as a quartile variable, showing that the top quartile had a 354% increased risk of NAFLD compared to the bottom quartile in the full model (OR = 4.54, 95% CI: 2.83–7.3, P < 0.001). A non-linear relationship was observed between the LAP and normal-weight NAFLD, with an inflection point identified at a LAP value of 12.6.Furthermore, ROC curve analysis demonstrated that LAP (AUC = 0.809, sensitivity = 83.3%, specificity = 64.7%) had superior predictive accuracy for normal-weight NAFLD compared to Body mass index (BMI) and WC.ConclusionOur study reveals a non-linear association between the LAP and the risk of NAFLD in individuals of normal weight, with LAP demonstrating superior predictive accuracy compared to BMI and WC. These results advocate for the use of LAP thresholds to guide early lifestyle interventions during metabolically reversible stages and to improve the identification of high-risk lean individuals who may be overlooked by current BMI-based screening methods.
format Article
id doaj-art-eb0fcd60d8e048a5be9312a984931330
institution Kabale University
issn 2296-858X
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Medicine
spelling doaj-art-eb0fcd60d8e048a5be9312a9849313302025-08-20T13:13:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2025-08-011210.3389/fmed.2025.15659971565997Association between lipid accumulation product and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with normal weight: a population-based studyLingde Shen0Yuanfang Lin1Weifeng Chen2Hui Peng3Department of Tuina, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (The Fourth Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine), Shenzhen, ChinaDepartment of Tuina, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (The Fourth Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine), Shenzhen, ChinaDepartment of General Practice, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital (The First Affiliated of Shenzhen University), Shenzhen, ChinaDepartment of General Practice, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital (The First Affiliated of Shenzhen University), Shenzhen, ChinaBackgroundPrevious studies have indicated that Lipid accumulation product (LAP) can serve as a predictor for various metabolic diseases. However, the relationship between LAP and Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in individuals with normal weight remains unclear.MethodsThis study involves a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study conducted among a Japanese population consisting of 10,391 participants with normal weight, spanning from 2004 to 2015. LAP is determined by utilizing Waist circumference (WC) and Triglyceride (TG) levels. Participants were categorized into groups based on LAP quartiles. We performed an analysis of the association between LAP and NAFLD using Cox proportional-hazard regression, smooth curve fitting, and sensitivity analyses. Prediction accuracy was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) analysis, sensitivity, and specificity, using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves.ResultsThe analysis revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between LAP and normal-weight NAFLD (P < 0.01). Following adjustment for various covariates in the full models, LAP was found to be associated with NAFLD (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.04–1.08, P < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis was conducted by categorizing LAP as a quartile variable, showing that the top quartile had a 354% increased risk of NAFLD compared to the bottom quartile in the full model (OR = 4.54, 95% CI: 2.83–7.3, P < 0.001). A non-linear relationship was observed between the LAP and normal-weight NAFLD, with an inflection point identified at a LAP value of 12.6.Furthermore, ROC curve analysis demonstrated that LAP (AUC = 0.809, sensitivity = 83.3%, specificity = 64.7%) had superior predictive accuracy for normal-weight NAFLD compared to Body mass index (BMI) and WC.ConclusionOur study reveals a non-linear association between the LAP and the risk of NAFLD in individuals of normal weight, with LAP demonstrating superior predictive accuracy compared to BMI and WC. These results advocate for the use of LAP thresholds to guide early lifestyle interventions during metabolically reversible stages and to improve the identification of high-risk lean individuals who may be overlooked by current BMI-based screening methods.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1565997/fulllipid accumulation productnon-alcoholic fatty liver diseasenormal weightLAPNAFLD
spellingShingle Lingde Shen
Yuanfang Lin
Weifeng Chen
Hui Peng
Association between lipid accumulation product and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with normal weight: a population-based study
Frontiers in Medicine
lipid accumulation product
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
normal weight
LAP
NAFLD
title Association between lipid accumulation product and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with normal weight: a population-based study
title_full Association between lipid accumulation product and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with normal weight: a population-based study
title_fullStr Association between lipid accumulation product and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with normal weight: a population-based study
title_full_unstemmed Association between lipid accumulation product and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with normal weight: a population-based study
title_short Association between lipid accumulation product and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with normal weight: a population-based study
title_sort association between lipid accumulation product and non alcoholic fatty liver disease with normal weight a population based study
topic lipid accumulation product
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
normal weight
LAP
NAFLD
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1565997/full
work_keys_str_mv AT lingdeshen associationbetweenlipidaccumulationproductandnonalcoholicfattyliverdiseasewithnormalweightapopulationbasedstudy
AT yuanfanglin associationbetweenlipidaccumulationproductandnonalcoholicfattyliverdiseasewithnormalweightapopulationbasedstudy
AT weifengchen associationbetweenlipidaccumulationproductandnonalcoholicfattyliverdiseasewithnormalweightapopulationbasedstudy
AT huipeng associationbetweenlipidaccumulationproductandnonalcoholicfattyliverdiseasewithnormalweightapopulationbasedstudy