Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)--the hepatic component of metabolic syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of NAFLD in those patients attending the routine health checkup and to establish a relationship between NAFLD and metabolic syndrome.


METHODS
All patients attending the health check-up had their blood pressure, height and weight, waist circumference measurements, blood sugars, lipid levels and ultrasound abdomen done. The prevalence of NAFLD among these subjects was determined and the presence of risk factors for metabolic disease in each individual was analysed. A relationship between NAFLD and metabolic syndrome was then established.


RESULTS
Of the 1003 people 225 (22.6%) had NAFLD with higher prevalence among males 164/565 (29%) than among females 61/438 (13.9%). In the NAFLD group normal body mass index (BMI) was present in only 49/225 (20%) of the subjects while 119/225 (52.8%) were overweight and 56/225 (24.8%) were obese. Though liver enzymes were normal the mean AST among cases was 37.41 +/- 14.50 and 33.93 +/- 14.15 among controls and the mean ALT was 38.74 +/- 17.96 among cases and 31.62 +/- 13.49 among controls. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 106/225 (47%) among cases and 179/778 (23%) among controls.


CONCLUSIONS
A diagnosis of fatty liver on ultrasound in an asymptomatic person should alert us of metabolic syndrome and its progression to cardiovascular disease. NAFLD may be considered as the hepatic component of metabolic syndrome.
Uchil
Deepa
D
Wockhardt Hospitals Ltd. Mulund, Mumbai.
Pipalia
D
D
Chawla
M
M
Patel
R
R
Maniar
Sonali
S
Narayani
Juneja
Archana
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids