Association between fatty liver index and risk of breast cancer: A nationwide population-based study

Abstract Background Although nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been linked to breast cancer risk, the actual relationship remains unclear. Fatty liver index (FLI) is a noninvasive method for predicting NAFLD. We aimed to assess the association between FLI, a predictor of NAFLD, and breast cancer risk. Patients and Methods Using the Korean National Health Insurance Corporation data, we reviewed 7,046,153 women who underwent biennial evaluations between 2009 and 2010. FLI was calculated using body mass index, waist circumference, triglyceride level, and gamma-glutamyl transferase level. FLI Results Among the subjects, 51.8% (n=3,606,079) were premenopausal women. In the premenopausal and postmenopausal groups, 32,145 (0.89%) and 28,103 (0.82%) women developed breast cancer, respectively (median follow-up, 7.02 [interquartile range, 6.39–7.39] years). Mean FLI was lower in premenopausal women (11.24±14.72 vs. 23.88±19.54, P Conclusion High FLI, an indicator of NAFLD, could predict breast cancer in postmenopausal women.