Ultrasound Detected Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Prevalence and its Risk Factors in Pakistani Population

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common predictor of chronic liver disease. It is an emerging health condition in Pakistan and in most cases, the disease remains undiagnosed due to a low trend of screening processes observed over the years. The purpose of this research was to assess the relationship of ultrasonography (USG) – detected NAFLD with the risk factors including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and menopause.Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated the data gathered from medical histories, anthropometric measurements, and diagnostic abdominal ultrasound scans of 87 patients referred to radiology department of a trust hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. Patient diagnosed with NAFLD without any other disease or complication were selected through purposive sampling for further study.Results: The results depicted a higher prevalence of NAFLD in females. Among diagnosed NAFLD patients, most (33.7%) showed signs of mild fatty liver on USG. Statistically, a significant (p value= 0.002) relationship of obesity with NAFLD was observed. NAFLD patients had higher mean BMI values (31.04 ± 4.67 Kg/m2, p value = 0.000) as compared to other patients (25.34 ± 4.71 Kg/m2), confirming that obesity is the most important risk factor for NAFLD. Other risk factors (diabetes, hypertension, and menopause) were not found to be significantly related to NAFLD.Conclusion: The major finding of this study is that higher BMI increases the likelihood of developing NAFLD. Prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity can reduce the prevalence of NAFLD.          Keywords: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Obesity; Cirrhosis