A study of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-liver fat score in overweight and obese individuals

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the commonest liver pathologies and is increasing due to increasing obesity. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-liver fat score is a non-invasive diagnostic tool with a sensitivity and specificity of 95%. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study on 50 overweight and obese individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of more than or equal to 25 kg/m(2) and fatty liver on ultrasonography (USG). Alcoholics (≥30 g/day for men and ≥20 g/day for women), other etiologies like drugs and patients who had bowel resection surgeries for obesity were excluded from the study. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-liver fat score of more than -0.64 ruled in NAFLD. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Software 20. RESULTS: About 33/50 patients had a score of more than -0.64. Metabolic syndrome was present in 29 (58%), dyslipidemia in 38 (76%), and diabetes mellitus (46%) was the commonest comorbidity. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean age, weight, BMI, blood pressure, liver enzymes, fasting lipid profile, serum albumin, glycosylated Hemoglobin A1C (HBA1C), international normalised ratio (INR), and fasting blood sugars between the two groups with scores >-0.64 and ≤-0.64. There was a negative correlation of high-density lipoprotein and a positive correlation of liver enzymes, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, fasting blood sugar level, and HBA1c with a score of >-0.64. CONCLUSION: Higher BMI, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia were significantly associated with a score of >-0.64. This score confirmed the ultrasonographically diagnosed fatty liver.