Frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus and its associated risk factors

OBJECTIVE: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is emerging as a major public health problem globally especially in patients with Type-2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to assess the frequency of NAFLD in patients with T2DM and to study its associated risk factors. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted from April 2020 to October 2020 at the Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. Adult patients with T2DM were included in the study and underwent abdominal ultrasound for the identification of NAFLD. All the relevant clinical and biochemical characteristics were measured. RESULTS: Out of 384 participants, 236 patients (61.5%) had NAFLD on ultrasound. Patients with NAFLD had higher mean BMI, higher HbA1c, increased waist circumference, raised ALT, higher triglyceride, and low HDL. Logistic regression analysis revealed a statistically significant association with central obesity (OR = 5.448, 95% CI = 1.416-20.959, p = 0.014), higher BMI (OR = 4.435, 95% CI = 2.127-9.246, p < 0.0001), higher HbA1c [> 11%] (OR = 3.602, 95% CI = 1.438-9.019, p = 0.006), and elevated ALT (OR = 3.211, 95% CI = 1.509-6.835, p = 0.002). The highest odds for NAFLD were found for hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 11.624, 95% CI = 5.405-24.998, p < 0.0001) and low HDL (OR = 11.543, 95% CI = 2.590-51.439, p = 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: High frequency of NAFLD along with its associated clinical and laboratory risk factors were revealed. This underpins the significance of screening T2DM patients for NAFLD and assessment for and modification of its associated risk factors in routine clinical practice.