Prevalence of non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Kurdistan province, Iran, 2013 - 2014: A Population Based Study

Generally, 15% to 40% of the world populations are suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study was to conduct an epidemiological evaluation of NAFLD and its related factors in the west of Iran.
This cross-sectional study was conducted for 12 months, from July 2013 to July 2014, in the city of Sanandaj. In this study, multistage cluster sampling method was used. The general characteristics of the subjects including their age, sex, body mass index, history of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease were recorded. All the subjects underwent abdominal ultrasound; besides, patients with fatty liver underwent blood tests (lipid profile, liver function test, fasting blood sugar, hepatitis B virus antigen & Hepatitis C virus antibody). Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression test.
A total of 410 patients were included in the study, of whom 145 (35%) had NAFLD. The prevalence of fatty liver in males (43%) was twice more than that in females (22%). The severity of fatty liver disease was increased with increasing blood sugar (OR = 3.214, 95% CI = 1.357, 7.612), triglycerides, and total cholesterol (OR = 2.897, 95% CI = 1.245, 6.736).
findings of this study shows that, the prevalence of NAFLD in the west of Iran equals with the highest rates reported from other countries and the prevalence was much higher than that in Asian countries. It is recommended to implement fast and effective interventions to control fatty liver disease.