Sex differences in the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and Parkinson's disease

The association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) remains uncertain. This study sought to assess the sex-specific association between NAFLD and PD risk considering that sex is an important factor in both conditions.

We included 2,651,169 men and 2,998,904 women (≥40 years of age) who underwent health examinations in 2009 using database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service. To define NAFLD, the Fatty Liver Index (FLI) was used and a score of at least 60 points was regarded as suggesting the presence of NAFLD. Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed to evaluate the association between the presence of NAFLD/each component of FLI and the risk of PD. All analyses were stratified by sex.

The median follow-up duration was 7.3 years in both men and women. Of the total study population, 23,233 patients with PD (10,578 men and 12,655 women) were identified. Among men, a decreased risk of PD was observed in those with NAFLD [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82-0.91]. In contrast, among women, an increased risk of PD was observed in those with NAFLD (aHR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02-1.16). This different association according to sex was more prominent among younger participants but was not significant in the old age group.

NAFLD defined by FLI is differently associated with the risk of PD by sex (i.e., low risk of PD in men with NAFLD vs. high risk of PD in women with NAFLD).