Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in apparently healthy blood bank donors: metabolic, alcohol, and combined damage

Introduction and Objectives

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease due to alcohol consumption and combined damage in the healthy population of the blood bank of the Hospital General de México "Dr. Eduardo Liceaga."

Material and Methods

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

Results

We included two hundred fifty-eight donors, 129 (50%) have fatty liver disease. 67 (25.96%) had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 31 (12.01%) had alcoholic fatty liver disease, and 31 (12.01%) had combined damage. In the metabolic damage group, S1 steatosis was found in 14 subjects (20.90%), S2 in 23 (34.32%), and S3 in 30 (44.78%). Of the alcohol damage group, 12 (38.70%) had S1, 5 (19.35%) S2 and 13 (41.95%) S3. 100% of donors with combined damage present S3 steatosis. Advanced fibrosis was found in 3 (4.47%) donors with metabolic damage, 1 (3.22%) with alcohol damage, and 2 (6.45%) with combined damage.

Discussion

One out of two healthy subjects had fatty liver disease. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was the most common, while alcohol and combined damage were equally prevalent. These subjects are a sample of the Mexican population that could represent the behavior of the population of our country.

Conclusions

Fatty liver disease was found in all three groups but with predominance in the metabolic damage group. Undiagnosed advanced fibrosis was found in a small percentage of the apparently healthy 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.