Epidemiologic profile of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in apparently healthy blood bank donors

Introduction and Objectives

To determine the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a healthy population of the blood bank from Hospital General de México "Dr. Eduardo Liceaga," as well as to describe the characteristics of the subjects who experience this disease.

Materials and methods

Prolective, cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study. We included donors ≥18 years old. We excluded subjects with known liver disease and dangerous alcohol consumption. Vibration-controlled transient hepatic elastography was the method of estimation of steatosis and hepatic fibrosis. We used descriptive statistics.

Results

A total of 258 donors were included. 67 (25.96%) had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 29 were women (43.28%) and 38 (56.72%) men. S1 steatosis was found in 14 subjects (20.90%), S2 in 23 (34.32%), and S3 in 30 (44.78%). 23 (34.32%) were overweight, 23 (34.32%) grade 1 obese, 11 (16.44%) grade 2 obese, and 5 (7.46%) grade 3 obese; only 5 (7.46%) had normal body mass index. 21 (72.41%) women have waist circumference ≥88 and 23 (60.52%) men ≥102 cm. 28 (41.79%) subjects have blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg; 24 (35.82%) have glucose ≥100 mg/dl; and 40 (59.70%) triglycerides ≥150 mg/dl. Advanced fibrosis (F4) was found in 3 (4.47%) donors.

Discussion

One in four apparently healthy subjects has non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. These subjects are a sample of the Mexican population that could represent the behavior of the population of our country.

Conclusions

Non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis is a prevalent disease that is closely related to the increase in overweight and obesity in the Mexican population.

Funding

The resources used in this study were from the hospital without any additional financing

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.