Anthropometric Measurements and Lifestyle Characteristics of Individuals with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract

Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disorder caused by the deposition of lipids and fats in the hepatocytes, in individuals who consume little or no alcohol, which eventually progresses to cirrhosis and carcinoma. Apart from the known risk factors like obesity, metabolic syndrome (MS), and lack of physical activity (PA), diet also plays a major role in the development of NAFLD. A high body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) have positive associations with NAFLD. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of risk factors of hepatic steatosis in NAFLD population and to raise public awareness about the condition. Method We conducted a cross-sectional study from October to December 2019 with a sample size of 98 subjects determined by using a confidence interval (CI) of 99.9%. Patients presenting to Essa Laboratory, Karachi for abdominal ultrasound (US) were scanned for fatty changes in the liver, after obtaining consent, and were then assessed for risk factors by administering a 20-item questionnaire along with registering their BMI and WC measurement. The collected data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 22 (IBM, Armonk, NY). The independent sample t-test was applied for the exploration of variables and a p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Result Our study included 96 participants, of which 49 (51%) were male and 47 (49%) female. Mean BMI in females was slightly greater (30.58) than in males (27.98), whereas WC (in inches) was almost equal in males (40.796) and females (40.383). Among the people that had any comorbidities (n = 60, 62.5%), hypertension (HTN) was the most common one (n = 37, 38.5%) followed by diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2 (n = 26, 27.1%). A significant majority (n = 63, 65.5%) never consumed any fruits or vegetables in their meal nor did they perform any sort of physical exercise (n = 46, 47.9%). Conclusion Obesity (high BMI), lack of PA, lower consumption of fruits and vegetables along with a carbohydrate-and fat-rich diet play a vital role in the development of hepatic steatosis. Moreover, HTN and DM, as components of MS, exhibit a significant association with NAFLD. Screening and counseling sessions should be considered for individuals with these Open Access Original Article

Variation in Lifestyle-Related Behavior Among Obese Indian Patients With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

“…Despite moderate calorie consumption, our participants were frequently consuming high fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) food items. Our findings are very similar to a recent dietary survey conducted on 98 NAFLD patients in Pakistan (21).…”

“…This data was used to calculate the diet quality score (0-30) of each patient (Supplementary Table 1). Diet quality was clubbed into three categories, namely-poor (0-14), moderate (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22), and good (23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30).…”

A influência da atividade física na doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica

“…Esses pacientes geralmente são assintomáticos clinicamente, mas também podem apresentar hepatoesplenomegalia, fadiga, dispepsia e desconforto no quadrante superior direito. Na evolução para cirrose, os pacientes podem apresentar icterícia, ascite ou sangramento por varizes 5 .…”

“…A obesidade, outro fator de risco importante, perturba as vias oxidativas nos tecidos adiposos e esse estresse oxidativo cria condições desfavoráveis para o fígado, acarretando desenvolvimento e complicações da DHGNA. A inatividade física tem sido associada à deterioração e progressão da infiltração gordurosa hepática 5 .…”

“…A ultrassonografia (USG) abdominal é a modalidade de imagem mais usada para diagnóstico da DHGNA. A tomografia computadorizada (TC) e a ressonância magnética (RM) são outros métodos de imagem não invasivos, entretanto, a biópsia hepática ainda permanece como padrão-ouro para a sua investigação 5 .…”