Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Author Spotlight: Establishing MASLD Cell Models for Investigating Disease Mechanisms and the Lipid-Lowering Effects of Koumiss
Published on: July 19, 2024
The relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hypothyroidism: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Xiaoxu Zeng1, Bin Li, Yang Zou
1Department of Endocrinology, Jiangjin Center Hospital, Chongqing, PR China.
Background:
Whether hypothyroidism is related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is controversial. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between NAFLD and hypothyroidism that may predict the NAFLD potential of these lesions and new prevention strategies in hypothyroidism patients.
Methods:
Totally 51,407 hypothyroidism patients with average 28.23% NAFLD were analyzed by Revman 5.3 and Stata 15.1 softwares in the present study. The PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched for works published through May 9, 2020.
Results:
The blow variables were associated with an increased risk of NAFLD in hypothyroidism patients as following: increased of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels (odds ratio [OR] = 1.23, 1.07-1.39, P = .0001); old age (mean difference [MD] = 3.18, 1.57-4.78, P = .0001); increased of body mass index (BMI) (MD = 3.39, 2.79-3.99, P < .000001); decreased of free thyroxine 4 (FT4) levels (MD = -0.28, -0.53 to -0.03, P = .03). In addition, FT3 (MD = 0.11, -0.09-0.3, P = .29) had no association with the risk of NAFLD in hypothyroidism patients.
Conclusion:
Our systematic review identified results are as following: hypothyroidism was positively associated with the risk of NAFLD. The increased concentration of TSH levels maybe a risk factor that increased incidence of NAFLD. The BMI of NAFLD patients was significantly higher than that of non-NAFLD patients. Old age was significantly associated with the incidence of NAFLD. FT4 was significantly associated with the risk of NAFLD due to its negatively effect while FT3 was not significantly related to the risk of NAFLD. Taken together, the present meta-analysis provides strong evidence that hypothyroidism may play a vital role in the progression and the development of NAFLD.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow
Synthesis and Regulation of Thyroid Hormones
Upon reaching the thyroid gland, TSH stimulates the follicular cells' active uptake of iodide ions from the blood. The ions diffuse to the apical surface of the cells and are oxidized to iodine. The...
Overview of Lipid Metabolism
Lipolysis: The Breakdown of Lipids:
Lipolysis is the process of breaking down lipids, particularly triglycerides, into glycerol and fatty acids. This process typically occurs in the adipose tissue and is triggered by various hormones, including glucagon and...
Diseases of the Liver and Gallbladder
Cirrhosis is characterized by the scarring of hepatic lobules in the liver, which are replaced by fibrous tissue, affecting the liver's normal functioning. NAFLD, on the other hand, is caused by an excessive build-up of fat in the liver, not...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Active Drug, Metabolite and Fraction of Metabolized Drug

