Ann Afr Med. 2026 Jan 23. doi: 10.4103/aam.aam_209_25. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a histological spectrum of liver damage ranging from simple steatosis to progressive fibrosis and cirrhosis in individuals without adequate alcohol intake (<20 g/day). The metabolic syndrome is characterized by a glucose intolerance/insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, pro-inflammatory and thrombotic disorders, attributed to poor eating habits, and lack of exercise. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and arterial hypertension are frequently paired with these illnesses, are together referred to as insulin resistance syndrome and are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between NAFLD and metabolic syndrome, as well as its constituent parts, using a modified definition based on the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: An Observational Cross-sectional Analytical Study with 100 patients was carried out at a tertiary care hospital in Western Maharashtra. Data were collected and tabulated, and statistical analysis was done.
RESULTS: The incidence of metabolic syndrome was 61% among study subjects. Out of 100 subjects, 55 had grade 1 fatty liver, 34 had grade 2 fatty liver, and 11 had grade 3 fatty liver.
CONCLUSION: From our study, higher prevalence of all the components of metabolic syndrome in cases of NAFLD was observed. The available literature on metabolic syndrome may indicate undiscovered heart disease, which may merit additional screening of NAFLD patients for the same, even though this study did not find a direct association between cardiovascular illness and NAFLD.
PMID:41587875 | DOI:10.4103/aam.aam_209_25