Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Can Be an Effective Tool for Screening Fatty Liver in Patients with Suspected Liver Disease

Abstract

Background and study aims: Although abdominal ultrasound (USG) or controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) score of transient elastography (TE) is recommended for the diagnosis of fatty liver, issues regarding cost and accessibility still exist. The aim of this study was to evaluate if bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) can be used as a reliable screening tool for fatty liver. Patients and methods: A total of 249 patients who underwent all three tests including TE, BIA, and USG were enrolled. The correlation between fat mass measured by BIA, CAP score of TE, and fatty liver grade measured by USG was analyzed. In addition, the cut-off value of BIA which can predict the fatty liver grade was calculated. Results: Fat mass index (FMI) assessed by BIA increased significantly along with the rise in fatty liver grade measured by USG (normal: 6.2 ± 2.4, Gr I: 8.0 ± 3.7, Gr II: 10.6 ± 3.5, Gr III: 10.7 ± 3.7 kg/m2, p < 0.001). In addition, a positive correlation was found between the CAP score of TE and the FMI of BIA. Additionally, a total body fat mass increase by 24.3% or 29.8% in men and 34.8% or 35.1% in women increased the possibility of developing any grade of fatty liver or significant fatty liver (≥Gr II fatty liver), respectively. Conclusion: The total fat or fat mass index of BIA was related to fatty liver as assessed by ultrasound or CAP score, and area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) was about 0.8. Thus, BIA can be used as a screening tool for fatty liver in patients with suspected liver disease.

Tryptophan Prevents the Development of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

“… 60 Bioelectric impedance analysis is widely used as a simple and reliable screening of fatty liver disease with high accuracy and reproducibility comparable to transient elastography and ultrasound. 61 Our rat model of NAFLD is also characterized by changes in electrical conductivity and the ability to polarize under the influence of electric current of different frequencies. An increase in the impedance and reactance of liver tissue at both low and high frequencies of the tested current indicates fatty liver degeneration in NAFLD, since fat has a high electrical resistance in contrast to normal liver tissue, which has a relatively high electrical conductivity.…”

REAC Reparative Treatment: A Promising Therapeutic Option for Alcoholic Cirrhosis of the Liver

“…The liver possesses a remarkable capacity for regeneration, a process that is closely associated with its bioelectrical properties [6,7]. Previous research has investigated the endogenous bioelectrical activity (EBA) of the liver across various stages of disease [8].…”

“…Expanding on this line of investigation, the present study aims to further explore the potential benefits of REAC RRT in the management of ALC. By harnessing the reparative power of the liver's bioelectrical properties [6,7], it is hypothesized that REAC RRT may offer an effective intervention to facilitate tissue repair and potentially slow down the progression of ALC.…”

Novel Noninvasive Paraclinical Study Method for Investigation of Liver Diseases

“…Conversely, BIS uses frequency series, which can ensure a more representative measurement by testing the lower and higher frequencies at the same time, providing new perspectives for impedance-based research in NAFLD. SFBIA-based detection of hepatic steatosis has been investigated in several clinical studies [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ] and small animal models [ 22 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. Despite the great amount of studies on this subject, there is only a limited number of studies available on the assessment of NAFLD using BIS measurement.…”