Prevalence and associated factors of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in the health screen examinees

Seo, Sang Hyuck; Lee, Hyun Woong; Park, Hye Won; Jang, Byoung Guk; Chung, Woo Jin; Park, Kyung Sik; Cho, Kwang Bum; Hwang, Jae Seok; Ahn, Sung Hoon

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a kind of most common hepatic disease having wide pathologic spectrum and has been increasingly recognized as an important disorder because it may progress to end stage of liver disease. In spite of several foreign reports about clinical aspects of NAFLD, there are not enough reports analyzing large group for long times in Korea. We have examined the prevalence and associatd factors for NAFLD in health screen examinees from January 1997 to June 2003.
METHODS
The results of 29,781 health screen examinees were analyzed retrospectively. Prevalence of alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver was computed and associating factors were analyzed statistically.
RESULTS
Overall prevalence of NAFLD was 18.6% and higher in the groups of age over 50 years. NAFLD was more preponderant in male. Age, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and abnormal serum low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, ALT level were independently associated factors with presence of NAFLD in logistic regression analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of NAFLD and tendency of associated factors were similar to Western world. To prevent development of this common hepatic disorder which may results in end stage liver disease, prevention and control of obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia must be important.