Prevalence and determinants of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in lifelines: A large Dutch population cohort

PLoS One. 2017 Feb 2;12(2):e0171502. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171502. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Background & aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is an increasing health issue that develops rather unnoticed with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. We investigated prevalence, determinants and associated metabolic abnormalities of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the largest population-based cohort to date.

Methods: Biochemical characteristics, type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome were determined in the Lifelines Cohort Study (N = 167,729), a population-based cohort in the North of the Netherlands. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was defined as Fatty Liver Index (FLI)≥60. Exclusion criteria were age <18 years, immigrants, missing data to assess FLI and metabolic syndrome, excessive alcohol use, previous-diagnosed hepatitis or cirrhosis and non-fasting blood sampling.

Results: Out of 37,496 included participants (median age 44 years, 62.1% female), 8,259 (22.0%) had a FLI≥60. Individuals with a FLI≥60 were more often male, older, obese, had higher levels of hemoglobinA1c, fasting glucose, liver enzymes, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, c-reactive protein and leucocytes and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (all P<0.0001). Participants with a FLI≥60 showed higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (9.3% vs. 1.4%), metabolic syndrome (54.2% vs. 6.2%), impaired renal function (20.1% vs. 8.7%) and cardiovascular disease (4.6% vs. 1.6%) (all P<0.0001). Multivariable logistic analysis showed that smoking, hemoglobin, leucocytes, c-reactive protein, platelets, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, impaired renal function (OR 1.27, 95%CI 1.15-1.41), metabolic syndrome (OR 11.89, 95%CI 11.03-12.82) and its individual components hyperglycemia (OR 2.53, 95%CI 2.34-2.72), hypertension (OR 1.89, 95%CI 1.77-2.01) and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR 3.44, 95%CI 3.22-3.68) were independently associated with suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (all P<0.0001).

Conclusion: Twenty-two percent (22.0%) of the population in the North of the Netherlands is suspected to suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, coinciding with a significant increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and impaired renal function.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cholesterol, HDL / blood
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / complications
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hyperglycemia / complications
  • Hypertension / complications
  • Male
  • Metabolic Syndrome / complications
  • Middle Aged
  • Netherlands / epidemiology
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / epidemiology*
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / etiology
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Cholesterol, HDL

Grants and funding

The Lifelines Cohort Study was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research [grant 175.010.2007.006]; the Economic Structure Enhancing Fund of the Dutch government; the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Education, Culture and Science and Health, Welfare and Sports; the Northern Netherlands Collaboration of Provinces; the Province of Groningen; University Medical Center Groningen; the University of Groningen; the Dutch Kidney Foundation; the Dutch Diabetes Research Foundation and the National Consortium for Healthy Ageing and the BioSHaRE-EU consortium (KP7, project reference 261433). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analyses, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.