Cardiorespiratory Fitness Stipulates Presence and Normalization of NAFLD in a Community‐Based Adults Enrolled in a Lifestyle Modification Program

RATIONALENon‐alcoholic fatty‐liver disease(NAFLD) is the most frequent liver disease in western countries and has obesity as its main risk and cardiovascular mortality as worse outcome. NAFLD might be secondary to environmental factors such as energy dense food and sedentary lifestyle.PURPOSETo characterize the effects of physical activity and fitness on the presence of NAFLD in a community‐based adults submitted to a Lifestyle Modification Program(LiSM).METHODSBaseline data from 1010 individuals, selected for the LiSM, from 2005 to 2017, were cross‐sectionally analysed for medical, anthropometry, plasma biochemistry, physical activity (IPAQ version 8) and fitness(hand grip, flexibility and cardiorespiratory‐Balke's treadmill protocol). The algorithm based on BMI, waist circumference (WC), triglycerides and GGT was used to develop the “fatty liver index” (FLI), which varies between 0 and 100 with a FLI ≥ 60 ruling in the NAFLD. Longitudinal analysis were undertaken in data from 583 subjects submitted to a 10‐wk LiSM intervention with daily supervised mixed‐physical exercises(5x/wk, 80min/session/60–80% VO2max) and dietary counseling. FLI values were splitted into quartiles for comparison with co‐variables. SAS version 9.2 was used to complete ANOVA and evaluated FLI quartiles(Q1–Q4). Tukey's post hoc was applied with significance level set at p<0.05.ResultsFLI quartiles were Q1(<36.5), Q2(36.6–59.8), Q3(59.9–84.7) and Q4(>84.8). Q4 was predominantly male, lower schooling, lower income and in (self‐ perceptive) bad health. Q4 showed also lower physical activity and lower aerobic fitness without changes in flexibility and strength. FLI correlated negatively with VO2max(r=−0.49, p<0.00001)values. After LiSM, 95 subjects had reduced their FLI from ≥60(M0) to <60(M1). In a (%)muscle mass dependent effect, VO2max determined the FLI responses to LiSM,ConclusionPhysical inactivity/aerobic fitness were risk factors for higher FLI, overcome by LiSM effects on aerobic conditioning.Support or Funding InformationSuported by CNPq and CAPESThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.