Relationship between phase angle measured with bioelectrical impedance analysis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in adults

Purpose The phase angle (PhA) measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is associated with nutritional status and cellular health, and it is a clinically important parameter used to assess the risk of various diseases. It remains unclear whether PhA is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the BIA parameter PhA and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 adults aged 20–64 years (NAFLD: 196, normal: 104). Some biochemical findings of the participants were collected, and whole-body and segmental PhAs were measured using Tanita (MC-780) at 50 kHz. Findings The PhA values of the whole body ( p = 0.003), trunk ( p < 0.001), right and left legs ( p < 0.001 for both) were found to significantly differ according to the degrees of fatty liver. It was observed that the highest PhA values were in normal individuals. Logistic regression analysis showed that the reduction in PhAs of the whole body ( p = 0.038), right ( p = 0.019) and left legs ( p = 0.049) and trunk ( p = 0.001) after adjusting for all confounding factors increased the risk of NAFLD. Additionally, whole body PhA was significantly associated with age (year, p = 0.02), BMI (kg/m 2 ; p < 0.001), fat mass (kg; p = 0.001), fat mass (%; p < 0.001), albumin (g/L; p < 0.001) and CRP (mg/dL; p = 0.001). Originality/value The results of this study showed that PhA can be used in the management of NAFLD. To identify potential mechanisms in the relationship between the angle of the liver and NAFLD, large-scale prospective studies are needed.