Prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in type 2 diabetic Iraqi patients

Abstract EN

Objective: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a component of the metabolic syndrome (MS) but the prevalence of NAFLD in Iraq is unknown.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of NAFLD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2DM) in Iraqi patients.

Methods: One hundred consecutive patients with type 2DM (mean age 64.2±9.3 years, 63% men) were examined for liver biochemistry, MS parameters and had liver ultrasound.

MS was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation.

The diagnosis of NAFLD was based on liver ultrasound.

Other etiologies of liver lesion was ruled out.

Results: 93% of patients met the MS criteria, 79%had NAFLD and 13% had ultrasound signs of fibrosis/ cirrhosis.

NAFLD patients had greater weight (96.9±19.3 vs 84.7±14.7 kg; p=0.003), BMI (32.6±5.2 vs 29.4±5.4 kg/m2; p=0.007), waist circumference (113.8±12.8 vs 107.1±10.3 cm; p=0.033), ALT (43±33.5 vs 32.3±31 u/L, p=0.007) and triglyceridaemia (1.9±1.4 vs 1.4±1 mmol/l; p=0.005) than patients without NAFLD.

There were no significant differences in age, sex, cholesterol, fasting glycemia.

Conclusions: Patients with type 2DM had in the majority of cases NAFLD which was related to weight, BMI, waist circumference and serum triglycerides.