Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between fatty liver index and kidney function using updated MASLD and CKD–EPI 2021 definitions: a population-based study with region-specific cutoffs
Higher FLI and MASLD were associated with impaired kidney function cross-sectionally and prospectively. Region-specific FLI cutoffs resulted in more stable longitudinal associations than the European FLI ≥ 60 threshold, underscoring the relevance of population-calibrated indices. Although sex differences were evident, obesity- and activity-related variations were not statistically confirmed. FLI may offer a practical, scalable tool for early identification of CKD risk. Further studies should validate these findings across diverse populations and assess whether interventions targeting MASLD can mitigate kidney function decline.
Authors
- Maryam Kazemi
- Nasrollah Ghahramani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0299-9394)
- Reza Malekzadeh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1043-3814)
- Reza Homayounfar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5398-9519)
- Majid Fardaei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8393-0371)
- Mojtaba Farjam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4826-2846)
- Babak Pezeshki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4985-6320)
- Sina Bazmi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2128-0924)
Institutions
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute (IR)
- Shariati Hospital (IR)
- Fasa University of Medical Sciences (IR)
- Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (IR)
- Tehran University of Medical Sciences (IR)
- Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- European journal of medical research
- Published
- 2025-12-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-025-03645-6
- Primary Topic
- Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00