Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Frequency among Healthy Blood Donors in the West of Iran

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of NAFLD as well as the determination of associated metabolic abnormalities in Iranian blood donors. The aim of this study was to review cases of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and to determine the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as a cause of elevated alanine aminotransferase in healthy blood donors and also assess risk factors of NAFLD such as BMI and correlation with metabolic syndrome in these subjects.Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has been increasingly recognized as the most common pathological conditions affecting the liver. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is now recognized as the hepatic component of the metabolic syndrome, which includes hyperlipidemia, glucose intolerance, obesity, and systemic hypertension. Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 479 blood donor aged between 17-66 years in Hamedan, Iran. The donor answered a questionnaire that included age, gender, and medical history, and were submitted to a complete physical exam and abdominal ultrasound. Biochemical exams included: ALT, AST, ALP, fasting glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides. Criteria for NAFLD included: the presence of steatosis in ultrasound and/or elevated ALT/AST with negative intake of alcohol, negative use of drug, negative investigation for hepatitis A, B, C, auto-immune hepatitis, Wilson disease and hemochromatosis.Results: From August, 2012 to January, 2013, the study included 479 subjects between 17 and 66 years of age and a mean age of 33.3 ± 10.5 years. The prevalence of NAFLD was 35.7% (mild 21.3%, moderate 13.4%, sever 1%). From lower to higher BMI category; alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides statistically increased significantly. In all BMI categories, ALT increased significantly by increasing the number of the components of the metabolic syndrome. Odds ratio for elevated liver enzymes and sonographic fatty liver increased significantly with higher BMI categories before and after adjustment for age. Conclusion:There was a strong relationship between NAFLD and the abnormal metabolic variables in blood donors. It would be very useful if people are exposed to some determination such as waist circumference, blood pressure, FBS and serum lipid profile in order to screen those susceptible to NAFLD.