Lipids & metabolic liver disease
Fatty Liver Index as an Upstream Marker of Glycaemic and Cardiometabolic Dysregulation Preceding MASLD : Evidence From Two Longitudinal Cohorts
Authors' conclusion
FLI emerged as an upstream and central marker of metabolic dysregulation in the preclinical metabolic stage of MASLD, whereas FBG appeared to represent a downstream manifestation.
Study context
- Population
- Participants with data at baseline and follow-up in the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort and UK Biobank; hepatic steatosis assessed by Fatty Liver Index (FLI)two longitudinal cohorts
- Participants
- 4,186 vs 2,620
- Exposure
- China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) vs UK Biobank (UKB)
- CMECn = 4,186
- UKBn = 2,620
- Outcome
- Cross-lagged pathways between FLI and cardiometabolic factors (β)
Methodological detailstwo cohorts, cross-lagged panel network analysis
- Two cohorts
- Cross-lagged panel network analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
| Group | β FLI → SBP | β SBP → FLI | β FLI → Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) | β FBG → FLI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMEC | 0.079 | 0.016 | 0.056 | 0.022 |
| UKB | 0.046 | 0.000 | 0.018 | −0.005 |
β FLI → SBP
CMEC0.079
UKB0.046
β SBP → FLI
CMEC0.016
UKB0.000
β FLI → Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG)
CMEC0.056
UKB0.018
β FBG → FLI
CMEC0.022
UKB−0.005
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | CMEC | UKB |
|---|---|---|
| Centrality: FLI upstream and central node | ||
| FLI Out-EI | 0.344 | 0.209 |
| FLI Bridge-EI | 0.344 | 0.209 |
| Centrality: FBG downstream affected node | ||
| FBG In-EI | 0.189 | 0.159 |
Original publication
Fatty Liver Index as an Upstream Marker of Glycaemic and Cardiometabolic Dysregulation Preceding MASLD : Evidence From Two Longitudinal Cohorts. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 11 May 2026. doi:10.
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