Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Diagnostic Utility of Lipid Indices for Detecting MASLD in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Eunice Susan Thomson, Akash Thomas Oommen

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health · pp. 174–184 · Published 29 Jul 2025

10.9734/ajmah/2025/v23i71277

Abstract

Background: Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is a prevalent hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome and is emerging as a leading cause of chronic liver disease globally. Early detection is essential for effective risk stratification and intervention. Lipid abnormalities – especially elevated triglycerides - are central to MASLD pathophysiology and may serve as cost-effective, non-invasive diagnostic indicators. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical utility of lipid parameters and lipid-derived indices in predicting the presence and severity of MASLD in adults with metabolic syndrome. Methodology: A prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in 2024. A total of 110 adult patients with metabolic syndrome were enrolled. Anthropometric data, fasting lipid profiles, liver enzymes, glucose metabolism markers and derived indices (TG/HDL, TG/LDL, TG/Total Cholesterol, HDL/LDL and TyG index) were assessed. Abdominal ultrasonography was used to classify MASLD severity. Statistical analyses included ROC curves, Pearson correlation, t-tests and chi-square tests were done. Results: Triglyceride levels were significantly higher in patients with MASLD (median 112.00 vs. 92.00 mg/dL, p = 0.0001), whereas HDL, LDL and total cholesterol showed no significant differences. ROC analysis indicated that the TG/Total Cholesterol ratio had the highest discriminative power (AUC = 0.70, p < 0.001), followed by TG/HDL (AUC = 0.64, p = 0.010), TyG index (AUC = 0.64, p = 0.007) and TG/LDL (AUC = 0.63, p = 0.016). The HDL/LDL ratio was not predictive (AUC = 0.46, p = 0.484). Conclusion: Triglyceride-based indices- especially TG/Total Cholesterol and TG/HDL, demonstrate strong potential as non-invasive predictors of MASLD. These markers may complement imaging tools and support early screening in metabolic syndrome patients, enhancing timely intervention and clinical outcomes.

MASLD nonalcoholic fatty liver disease triglycerides lipid profile TG/HDL ratio TyG index ultrasound metabolic syndrome ROC curve predictive biomarkers

References (28)

  1. 1 NAFLD: A multisystem disease [DOI]
  2. 2 AASLD Practice Guidance on the clinical assessment and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [DOI]
  3. 3 Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a review of pathophysiology, clinical management and effects of weight loss [DOI]
  4. 4 Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): A State-of-the-Art Review [DOI]
  5. 5 Advancing the global public health agenda for NAFLD: a consensus statement [DOI]
  6. 6 NAFLD and cardiovascular diseases: a clinical review [DOI]
  7. 7 NAFLD as a continuum: from obesity to metabolic syndrome and diabetes [DOI]
  8. 8 Dysregulated lipid metabolism links NAFLD to cardiovascular disease [DOI]
  9. 9 MAFLD: How is it different from NAFLD? [DOI]
  10. 10 NAFLD: Mechanisms, Treatments, and Biomarkers [DOI]
  11. 11 Updated mechanisms of MASLD pathogenesis [DOI]
  12. 12 The Natural History of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease—An Evolving View [DOI]
  13. 13 Endocrine aspects of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD): Beyond insulin resistance [DOI]
  14. 14 Metabolic-Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease—Its Pathophysiology, Association with Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Disease, and Treatments [DOI]
  15. 15 New targets for NAFLD [DOI]
  16. 16 Lipid metabolism in MASLD and MASH: From mechanism to the clinic [DOI]
  17. 17 Lipid Metabolism in Metabolic-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) [DOI]
  18. 18 Non-invasive testing and risk-stratification in patients with MASLD [DOI]
  19. 19 MAFLD vs. NAFLD: shared features and potential changes in epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and pharmacotherapy [DOI]
  20. 20 The metabolic basis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis [DOI]
  21. 21 Understanding the Burden of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Time for Action [DOI]
  22. 22 Altered lipid metabolism as a predisposing factor for liver metastasis in MASLD [DOI]
  23. 23 Biochemical markers and lipid profile in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients in the PERSIAN Guilan cohort study (PGCS), Iran [DOI]
  24. 24 Impact of NAFLD and its pharmacotherapy on lipid profile and CVD [DOI]
  25. 25 Serum lipids are associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a pilot case-control study in Mexico [DOI]
  26. 26 Potential Hepatic Lipid Markers Associated with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis and Fibrosis in Morbid Obesity Patients [DOI]
  27. 27 Comparison of Non-invasive Liver Fat Scoring Systems as Markers of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Liver Disease [DOI]
  28. 28 A Study of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Metabolic Syndrome Patients [DOI]

Cited by 0

No indexed citations yet.

Related research

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

77

Page views

0

PDF downloads

46

Outbound clicks

0

Citations

Views over time

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.