TOPLINE:
In men with type 2 diabetes (T2D), higher serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were associated with a lower risk for metabolic dysfunction–associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), whereas higher progesterone levels were associated with a higher risk. In women with T2D, sex- or thyroid-related hormones were not independently associated with the risk for MAFLD.
METHODOLOGY:
- People with T2D may have FLD, and this study explored the link between sex-related and thyroid-related hormone levels and MAFLD to explore and confirm risk factors.
- The researchers used a 2020 definition of MAFLD, now defined in patients as both hepatic steatosis and the presence of overweight/obesity, T2D, or evidence of metabolic dysfunction in lean individuals.
- This cross-sectional study conducted in one hospital in China included 432 patients hospitalized because of T2D and its complications from January 2018 to April 2020 (median T2D duration, 6 years; mean age, 55.8 years; 247 men and 185 postmenopausal women).
- Researchers measured and later adjusted for potential confounding factors, including weight, height, waist circumference, arterial blood pressure, glycemic parameters, liver function, and lipid profiles.
- They assessed blood levels of sex and thyroid hormones by chemiluminescent immunoassays; MAFLD was diagnosed by either ultrasonography findings of hepatic steatosis or a high liver fat index score (fatty liver index > 60).
TAKEAWAY:
- Overall, 275 (63.7%) patients were diagnosed with MAFLD; after adjusting for potential confounding factors, none of the sex- and thyroid-related hormones were independently associated with the risk for MAFLD in all patients with T2D.
- In men with T2D, higher serum levels of FSH (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.919; P = .019) and LH (aOR, 0.888; P = .022) were associated with a reduced risk for MAFLD.
- Higher serum levels of progesterone were associated with an increased risk for MAFLD in men with T2D (aOR, 8.069; P = .003).
- In women with T2D, sex hormones and thyroid hormones were not significantly linked to the risk of developing MAFLD.
IN PRACTICE:
“Our findings could be used to imply that screening for MAFLD and monitoring sex-related hormones are important for T2D patients, especially in men,” the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Weihong Lu, Xiamen Clinical Research Center for Cancer Therapy, Xiamen, China; Shangjian Li, Zhongshan Hospital (Xiamen), Fudan University, Xiamen, China; and Yuhua Li, China University of Mining & Technology-Beijing, Beijing, and was published online in BMC Endocrine Disorders.
LIMITATIONS:
Temporal sequences of the associations between sex-related and thyroid-related hormones and MAFLD were not evaluated because of the cross-sectional nature of the study. The small sample size from a single institution may have introduced selection bias. Serum levels of sex hormone-binding globulin and free testosterone were not assessed. The postmenopausal status of women in the study may have affected the ability to find sex-hormone related associations. The findings can only be limitedly extrapolated to similar patients with T2D but not the general population.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was supported by the Fujian Province Nature Science Foundations, China, and the Guiding Project on Medicine and Health in Xiamen, China. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.