Commentary
The present longitudinal cohort study aims to explore the effect of NAFLD and its severity on low BMD.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been suggested to be a risk factor associated with low BMD (bone mineral density) in several cross-sectional studies. The present longitudinal cohort study aims to explore the effect of NAFLD and its severity on low BMD. Between January 2013 and August 2018, individuals who participated in annual comprehensive health examinations were included.
BMD was presented using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). These subjects were diagnosed with fatty liver by ultrasound detection. A total of 1720 subjects were included (1064 subjects with normal BMD and 656 subjects with low BMD) at baseline. NAFLD and its severity were independently associated with an increased incidence of low BMD. Obesity and female sex are risk factors associated with low BMD. These findings indicate NAFLD can be a significant contributor to low BMD, requiring further studies to elucidate the potential mechanisms.
