TOPLINE:

In adults without diabetes, a high urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was independently associated with significantly lower odds of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), with the risk decreasing sharply when UIC exceeds 84.62 μg/L.

METHODOLOGY:

• UIC has been linked to diabetes and impaired glucose regulation. Using US survey data (January 2017-March 2020), researchers examined whether UIC was also associated with MASLD in adults without diabetes.
• Cross-sectional analysis included adults aged 20 years or older without diabetes (no self-reported diagnosis, no antidiabetic medication use, A1c levels < 6.5%).
• MASLD was defined as a controlled attenuation parameter level ≥ 263 dB/m plus at least one metabolic risk factor, after excluding other chronic liver diseases and excessive alcohol consumption. Liver fibrosis was assessed using liver stiffness measurement.
• Participants were classified by UIC as low (< 100 μg/L), normal (100-299 μg/L), or high (≥ 300 μg/L).

TAKEAWAY:

• Among 1281 participants (mean age, 48 years; 46.5% male), 580 (45.3%) had MASLD.
• High UIC was associated with lower odds of MASLD (adjusted odds ratio, 0.56; P = .008) than normal UIC, which was consistent across subgroups stratified by age, sex, BMI, and other relevant variables.
• The UIC-MASLD association was nonlinear (P for nonlinearity = .023), with the MASLD risk declining rapidly when UIC exceeded 84.62 μg/L.
• UIC was not significantly associated with liver fibrosis.

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings highlight the importance of optimal iodine intake. Additionally, there is a need to enhance the monitoring of iodine intake in the population,” the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Zhaoguang Chen, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. It was published online in BMC Gastroenterology.

LIMITATIONS:

This cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. Unmeasured confounding may remain. UIC was measured at a single timepoint, which may have been affected by recent fluid intake.

DISCLOSURES:

This study received grants from the Beijing Key Clinical Specialty Project. The authors reported having no competing interests.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.