Association of serum asprosin with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in older adult type 2 diabetic patients: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

To explore the association of serum asprosin levels with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

The cross-sectional study enrolled patients ≥ 65 years old diagnosed with T2DM at two community health service centers between November 2019 and July 2021. Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of MAFLD.

RESULTS

Totally 219 cases were included. Compared with diabetic individuals without MAFLD (n = 105), diabetics with MAFLD (n = 114) had younger ages, higher body mass index values, shorter time from T2DM diagnosis, increased waist-to-hip ratios, elevated triglycerides, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT), elevated γ-glutaryl transferase, elevated fasting insulin, and elevated HOMA-IR (all P < 0.05). Serum asprosin levels were elevated in diabetics with MAFLD in comparison with the non-MAFLD group (291.71 ± 73.69 vs. 255.24 ± 82.52 pg/ml, P = 0.001). Multivariable analysis revealed, after adjusted for age, time from T2DM diagnosis, HDL-C, and ALT, serum asprosin level (OR = 1.006, 95%CI: 1.001-1.010, P = 0.014) were independently associated with MAFLD in T2DM.

CONCLUSIONS

High asprosin level are associated with MAFLD in older patients with T2DM, after adjusted for age, time from T2DM diagnosis, WHR, TG, HDL-C, ALT, GGT, FINS, and HOMA-IR.