Association between changes in body composition and the increasing prevalence of fatty liver in Japanese men

Aim: Prevalence of fatty liver is increasing. In this study, to elucidate the factor that contributes most to recent increases in prevalence of fatty liver, we determined the independent predictors for the onset of fatty liver and compared these predictors between 2000 and 2005. Methods: Japanese persons, aged 30–74 years, who participated in regular health checks at Kagoshima Kouseiren Medical Health Care Center (10 336 persons in 2000 and 11 011 persons in 2005) were enrolled in the study. Diagnosis of fatty liver was performed by ultrasonography. Body fat percentage (BFP) was determined using a bipedal bioimpedance instrument. Results: The prevalence of fatty liver has increased between 2000 and 2005 in men (33.3 vs 38.5% in 2000 vs 2005, respectively, P