PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH FATTY LIVER DIAGNOSED BY ULTRASOUND

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), including steatosis and fibrosis, in patients with fatty liver detected by ultrasound. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 303 patients diagnosed with fatty liver by ultrasound at People’s Hospital 115 from August 2019 to October 2020. Steatosis and fibrosis were assessed using FibroScan, employing the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and liver stiffness measurements (LSM). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.0. Results: The prevalence of NAFLD in patients with fatty liver detected by ultrasound and assessed by FibroScan using CAP probe was 66%. Among patients with fatty liver on ultrasound who have NAFLD, the distribution of liver fat levels was as follows: S1 = 20.5%; S2 = 27%; S3 = 52.5%. The stages of liver fibrosis were: F0 - F1 at 74.5%; significant fibrosis at 25.5%, advanced fibrosis at 11%, and cirrhosis at 6%. NAFLD patients exhibited higher body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, cholesterol, triglyceride, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and obesity rates compared to those without NAFLD. Conclusion: The study underscores the high prevalence of NAFLD in patients with fatty liver detected by ultrasound, with the highest proportion of patients in stage S3, while 25.5% of the cases are classified as significant fibrosis, which indicates a considerable level of liver damage.