Abstract: Objective　To investigate the relationship between serum free fatty acid (FFA) and insulin resistance （IR） in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).  Methods　A total of 118 patients with NAFLD and 103 healthy subjects were enrolled as NAFLD group and control group. Their serum FFA were measured，and homeostasis model assessmentinsulin resistance (HOMAIR) indices were calculated.  Results　The level of serum FFA was (752.50±101.42) μmol/L, and HOMA-IR was 1.48±0.42 in NAFLD group. The levels of serum FFA and HOMAIR were higher than those in control group ［(441.75±95.64) μmol/L,0.67±0.33］ (P<0.01).Serum FFA level was positively correlated with HOMAIR in NAFLD group (r=0.325，P<0.05). Conclusions　FFA is closely associated with NAFLD, and IR may play a role in the pathogenesis of FFA to NAFLD.

Key words: Free fatty acid, Insulin resistance, Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease