Independent and opposite associations of trunk fat and leg fat with liver enzyme levels.

Background: In contrast to trunk fat mass (TFM), which is associated with cardiovascular risk markers, leg fat mass (LFM) displays independent protective effects against atherosclerosis. Little is known about the respective influence of central and peripheral adiposity on liver enzyme levels.

Aims: To assess the respective influence of TFM and LFM on alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels, and to test whether LFM might protect against an increase of liver enzyme levels.