The Repeatedly Elevated Fatty Liver Index Is Associated With Increased Mortality: A Population-Based Cohort Study

AimsNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has a dynamic disease course, therefore repeated measurements of NAFLD status could have benefits rather than single one. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of persistent NAFLD on the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke and all-cause mortality by using repeated measurement of fatty liver index (FLI).MethodsAbout 3 million subjects who had undergone the health screening four times from 2009 until 2013 were included. NAFLD was defined as an FLI ≥60. FLI points were defined as the number of times participants meeting the criteria of NAFLD (0–4). Outcomes included all-cause mortality, MI, and stroke.ResultsThe higher the FLI points, the higher the risk of all-cause mortality, MI, and stroke (P for trend