title: NAFLD prevalence differs among hispanic subgroups: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare prevalence rates of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) between Hispanics of Mexican origin and Hispanics of Dominican and Puerto Rican origin.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated prevalence rates of NAFLD between the two largest sub-populations of Hispanics in the United States; Hispanics of Mexican origin and Hispanics of Caribbean origin (Dominican and Puerto Rican), in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort. MESA is a large, population based, multi-center cohort study comprised of 6814 healthy Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, and Asian men and women aged 45-84. We utilized the baseline serum, anthropometric and radiographic measurements obtained between 2000 and 2002. NAFLD was measured via computed tomography scan and was defined as liver/spleen attenuation ratio < 1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 788 Hispanic participants included in the study after exclusions. The prevalence of NAFLD was 29% (n = 225). Hispanics of Mexican origin had a significantly higher prevalence of NAFLD (33%), compared to Hispanics of Dominican origin (16%), (P < 0.01) and Hispanics of Puerto Rican origin (18%), (P < 0.01). After controlling for age, sex, BMI, waist circumference, hypertension, serum HDL, triglyceride and CRP level and insulin resistance, Hispanics of Mexican origin remained significantly more likely to have NAFLD than those of Dominican and Puerto Rican origin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  United States Hispanics of Mexican origin have a significantly higher prevalence of NAFLD when compared to United States Hispanics of Dominican or Puerto Rican origin after controlling for known risk factors. Care should be taken when performing risk assessment in Hispanic populations not to make assumptions of homogeneity.
authors.affiliation: Michael Wayne Fleischman, Temitope Foster, Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30324, United States.
authors.forename: Michael Wayne
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Fleischman
authors.affiliation: Michael Wayne Fleischman, Temitope Foster, Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30324, United States.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Budoff
authors.affiliation: Michael Wayne Fleischman, Temitope Foster, Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30324, United States.
authors.forename: Ifran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zeb
authors.affiliation: Michael Wayne Fleischman, Temitope Foster, Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30324, United States.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Michael Wayne Fleischman, Temitope Foster, Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30324, United States.
authors.forename: Temitope
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004293:Dominican Republic / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008055:Lipids
keywords: Hispanic subpopulations; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Prevalence