ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Hepatobiliary Diseases
Hepatic Steatosis Index as an Independent Predictor of Hypertension in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
- 2The Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
- 3Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- 4Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, China
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Background: Hypertension is a common comorbidity in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and increases cardiovascular risk. Hepatic steatosis, a hallmark of metabolic dysfunction frequently observed in T2DM, may contribute to elevated blood pressure. The hepatic steatosis index (HSI) is a simple, non-invasive marker of liver fat, but its predictive value for hypertension in T2DM patients remains unclear. Methods: This cross-sectional study retrospectively included 1,744 hospitalized T2DM patients at Linyi People's Hospital from 2020 to 2023. Demographic, anthropometric, and laboratory data were collected, and HSI was calculated. Patients were classified as hypertensive (n = 604) or non-hypertensive (n = 1,140) and further stratified by HSI quartiles (Q1–Q4). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between HSI and hypertension. Results: Patients with hypertension had significantly higher HSI levels than those without (P < 0.05). Hypertension prevalence increased progressively across HSI quartiles, with the highest in Q4 (P < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, after adjustment for potential confounders, HSI remained independently associated with hypertension (OR = 1.054; 95% CI: 1.025 - 1.085; P < 0.001). Conclusion: HSI is independently associated with hypertension in T2DM and may serve as a practical tool for risk stratification. These findings underscore the link between hepatic steatosis and cardiovascular risk, and further studies are warranted to confirm causality and clinical utility.
Keywords: Typediabetesmellitus, Hypertension, Hepaticsteatosisindex, Metabolicdysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, metabolic dysfunction
Received: 02 Sep 2025; Accepted: 27 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ma, Zhou, Ma, Sheng, Jiang, Gao and Ji. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Baolan Ji, jibaolan@yeah.net
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