Association between gastroesophageal reflux disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND/AIM: The relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been demonstrated in recent epidemiologic studies although the results were inconsistent. This meta-analysis was conducted to summarize all available data and to estimate the risk of NAFLD among patients with GERD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Comprehensive literature review was conducted using MEDLINE and EMBASE database from inception through November 2016, to identify studies that compared the risk of NAFLD among patients with GERD versus those without GERD. Effect estimates from each study were extracted and combined using the random-effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird. RESULTS: Eight studies (four cross-sectional studies and four case–control studies) with 31,322 participants met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The risk of NAFLD among patients with GERD was significantly higher than those without GERD with the pooled odds ratio of 2.07 (95% confidence interval, 1.54–2.79). The statistical heterogeneity was high with an I(2) of 87%. CONCLUSIONS: A significantly increased risk of NAFLD among patients with GERD was observed in this meta-analysis.