Assessment of Hepatic Fat Content and Prediction of Myocardial Fibrosis in Athletes by using Proton Density Fat Fraction Sequence

Motivation: Exploring changes in liver fat content in athletes and its role in predicting late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) of myocardiumGoal(s): To use magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction(MRI-PDFF) for the quantization of the liver fat content and prediction of LGE in athletes. Approach: Recruitment of athletes and controls for cardiac magnetic resonance(CMR) examination, analysis of liver fat content using MRI-PDFF, and application of logistic regression to construct predictive models for LGE. Results: The liver fat content and mean liver fat fraction were altered in athletes compared with controls. Hepatic fat content can effectively predict LGE after excessive exercise. Impact: The study advanced sports cardiology by identifying hepatic fat content as emerging indicators for predicting LGE in athletes, enhancing training strategies and early detection of myocardial fibrosis.