Prevalence of metabolic risk factors among patients with NAFLD and its correlation with liver dysfunction and CAP value

Background and Aim: NAFLD defines liver abnormalities from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis with or without cirrhosis, occurring in persons who lack secondary causes of liver fat accumulation such as significant alcohol consumption. Methods: Patients diagnosed with fatty liver were enrolled from August 2021 to March 2022. Among patients diagnosed with NAFLD we estimated prevalence of various metabolic risk factors such as overweight/obesity, waist circumference, DM, Hypertension & Dyslipidemia. Fibroscan was done to determine CAP value. We calculated the correlation between number of metabolic risk factors and Liver enzyme (SGPT) rise and CAP value. Results: Total of 156 patients were diagnosed with NAFLD. Among them 122 patients underwent Fibroscan. Prevalence of various metabolic factors among NAFLD patients were Obesity/Overweight (BMI >25 kg/m2, 105 patients, 67.3%), Type 2 DM (68 patients, 43.5%), Increased Waist circumference (102 patients, 65.4%), Dyslipidemia (116 patients, 74.3%). Among patients with NAFLD 51 patients (32.6 %) had BMI < 25 Kg/m2. Analysis showed that significantly higher number of patients having 3 or more metabolic risk factors have raised SGPT (> ULN value) as compared to patients having less than 3 risk factors (RR- 4.49, 95%CI, 2.7 - 7.2). Mean CAP value of patients having 3 metabolic risk factor (BMI >25 Kg/m2, Type 2 DM, & Dyslipidemia) was 306.43 dB/m (SD, 30.840). Patients having two & one of the above risk factors have a mean CAP of 290.00 dB/m (SD, 23.580) & 269.14 dB/m (SD, 17.419) respectively. No significant association between mean CAP value and number of risk factors was found. Conclusions: Presence of at least 3 metabolic risk factors correlated with significantly larger number of patients having deranged liver enzyme. Though with increasing risk factors mean CAP value increased no significant association with number of risk factors was noted.