Prevalence of gallstone disease in the patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Sanandaj: A case control study

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and gallstone disease (GD) are both highly prevalent in the general population and have many risk factors in common. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of GD in the patients with NAFLD.

In this case-control study, our case group included 145 patients with NAFLD and control group consisted of 215 age-, sex-, and BMI-matched healthy subjects. NAFLD and gallstone disease were diagnosed by sonography. The prevalence and risk factors for gallstone disease were evaluated in the groups and compared between the 2 groups.

The frequency rates of gallstones in the case and control groups were 10/135 (6.9 %) and 5/210 (2.3 %) respectively (p=0.04). The frequency rates of gallstones in the female participants in the case and control groups were 6.8% and 3.4%, respectively, and in the men were 6.9% in the case and 1% in the control groups. We found no significant relationship between sex and frequency of gallstones in both groups (P> 0.05). In the control group, the prevalence rate of GD in the subjects over 50 years of age were significantly higher than that in the subjects under 50 years of age (P = 0.04). However, there was no significant difference between ag e and GD in the case group (P = 0.51). Also, in both groups, the prevalence of GD was significantly higher in obese subjects (BMI> 30) (P> 0.05). There was a significant difference between the grade of fatty liver and the prevalence of GD (P = 0.01). Comparison of the risk factors associated with the GD, showed no significant difference between the two groups.

The prevalence of gallstones was more in NAFLD than in normal population and was associated with grade of fatty liver disease.