It has been observed that women after menopause have the possibility of increased insulin resistance and visceral fat, which in turn may increase the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Although the pathogenesis of NAFLD in women is yet unclear, the present study is aimed to assess the risk factors for NAFLD in women. The current study enrolled women who underwent abdominal ultrasonography and blood sampling for routine health check-ups. 

The outcome showed that among 1,423 subjects, 695 women (48.9%) were in a menopausal state. The prevalence of NAFLD was reported to be higher in postmenopausal women (27.2%) in contrast to premenopausal women (14.4%). In multivariate analysis conducted in premenopausal women, low HDL-cholesterol, central obesity, and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance exhibited a remarkable relationship with the increased risk of NAFLD. While, in postmenopausal women, an association was found between the presence of diabetes, triglyceridemia, and central and risk of NAFLD. However, in postmenopausal women, presence of menopause and hormone replacement therapy were not considered as risk factors for NAFLD. 

Thus, it can be inferred that several metabolic factors exist that can cause an increased risk of NAFLD in pre- and postmenopausal women. Among these, the key factors implicated are central obesity and insulin resistance. Therefore, it is important to be focused on improving metabolic risk factors regardless of menopausal status in the pathogenesis of NAFLD in women.

Source: Chung GE, Yim JY, Kim D, et al. The influence of metabolic factors for nonalcoholic Fatty liver disease in women. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:131528.