Clinical correlation of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in a Chinese taxi drivers population in Taiwan: Experience at a teaching hospital

Abstract

BackgroundTo explore any gender-related differences in the prevalence of conditions-associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among Taiwanese taxi drivers in Taipei, Taiwan.MethodsWe studied 1635 healthy taxi drivers (1541 males and 94 females) who volunteered for physical check-ups in 2006. Blood samples and ultrasound fatty liver sonography results were collected.ResultsThe prevalence of NAFLD was 66.4% and revealed no statistically significant decrease with increasing age (p = 0.58). Males exhibited a greater prevalence of NAFLD than did females (67.5% vs 47.9%, p < 0.0001). Gender-related differences for associated factors were found. For males, hypertension, hyperuricemia, higher AST, higher ALT, hypertriglyceridemia, and higher fasting plasma glucose were significantly related to NAFLD. These conditions were not sigfinicantly related to NAFLD in females.ConclusionSeveral gender-related differences were noted for NAFLD among Taiwanese taxi drivers.

Clinical epidemiology of prevalence and cardiovascular risk factors of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease among the elderly agricultural and fishing population in Taiwan

“…However, it was interesting that that elderly female gender represented significant risk factors related to the likelihood of a NAFLD. Such a finding would appear to be inconsistent with the results of other studies for general population or occupational population conducted elsewhere [3,4,[7][8][9]11,12]. The proportion of obesity in males was higher than females among aged <50 yrs but the prevalence of an obesity for males proved to be substantially greater than it was for females among 60 years or above [21].…”

“…This disparity would likely be largely due to differences between different population stocks in addition to differences in the specifics of diagnostic criteria for such a NAFLD. This is one of the possible reasons that the prevalence of NAFLD in this elderly agricultural and fishing population (27.2%) was lower than the corresponding figure presented in a previous occupational population-based study conducted in Chinese populations [4,9,12]. Our study demonstrated NAFLD to be a disease of elderly age group with a mean age at presentation being 67 years.…”

“…Although NAFLD has been demonstrated to be present in several occupational populations and has been shown to be responsible for more than one third of patients with asymptomatic disorder, little is known about the baseline clinical and biochemical profiles of elderly sub-population [4,9,12]. The prevalence of a NAFLD amongst different screened populations appears to vary according to the results of different studies conducted in different countries [13][14][15].…”

“…Lobular inflammation: scattered acute and chronic inflammation, polymorphonuclear cells may be concentrated in zone 3 areas of ballooning and perisinusoidal fibrosis. Portal inflammation: mild to moderate [9,10].…”

Global burden of NAFLD and NASH: trends, predictions, risk factors and prevention

“…In Hong Kong, a community based study employing state of the art proton magnetic reso nance spectroscopy to quantify liver fat estimated a NAFLD prevalence of 28.8%: 19.3% in individuals who were not obese and 60.5% among those who were obese 49 . Similarly, in Taiwan, the preva lence of NAFLD was reported to be 11.4% in the general community 50 but higher in certain sub populations, including the elderly (mean age 70.3 ± 4.6 years, 50.1% prevalence) 51 52 .…”