The Visceral Adiposity Index in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Liver Fibrosis — Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Review question / Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the mean difference and AUROC of Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) in NAFLD/NASH/liver fibrosis patients and controls in observational studies. Condition being studied: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multi-system disease, being mainly a liver pathology involving excessive hepatic fat accumulation unrelated to alcohol consumption or other secondary causes of hepatic steatosis. It is an emerging cause of concern and increasing clinical burden, imposing a public health challenge. NAFLD is the most common chronic liver disease and is predicted to be the most common indication for a liver transplant in Western countries by 2030, owing to a prevalence of 25% worldwide. The visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a scoring system based on body mass index, triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), and waist circumferences (WCs).