Endocrine Abstracts

Objective:

This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver in Saudi type-2 diabetics attending medical outpatient clinic in a Saudi teaching hospital and to study some of their characteristics.

Research Design and Method:

The study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from September 2001 to September 2002. A sample of 116 patients was randomly selected from Saudi type-2 diabetics who were seen in the medical outpatient for follow-up. The entire sample had abdominal ultrasound examination and liver enzymes measurement. Data were collected from all the participant regarding; age, sex, BMI, duration of diabetes, it's degree of control, presence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and presence of hepatomegaly on abdominal ultrasound examination. Statistical analysis was done to determine the prevalence of NAFLD and to compare the patient's characteristics to those without NAFLD.

Results:

A total of 116 patients participated in the study with mean age of 54 years and male:female ratio of 1:2.6. NAFLD was diagnosed in 64 (55%); of them 56 (88%) had hepatomegaly and 12 (19%) had elevated liver enzymes. Significant relation was found between presence of NAFLD and female sex ; male:female ratio 1:3.6 compared to 1:1.7 in those without NAFLD (p 0.05). No significant relation was found between the presence of NAFLD and age, duration of diabetes, degree of control. Multiple regression analysis after adjustment for all factors and sex identified obesity as independent factor associated with development of NAFLD; (OR 0.33, 95%CI 0.09-1.1, p 0.06).

Conclusion:

NAFLD is common in Saudi type-2 diabetics attending medical outpatient clinic with strong association to obesity and female sex. Most of the patients have mild hepatomegaly with normal liver enzymes.