A Study of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and its Associated Risk Factors in Sudanese using Computed Tomography

Abstract

The study of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and identifying its risk factors would be critically important due to spread of these diseases worldwide. But, the prevalence of NAFLD in Sudan remains uncertain, due to lack of studies and there are no national surveys have been conducted. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with NAFLD in Sudanese populations using unenhanced CT scans as diagnostic tools. About 292 adult participants, aged 18 ~ 88 years old, were enrolled in this study .The participants were selected from patients that scheduled to undergo abdominal CT scan. The following information was collected for each patient including sex, age, height; body weight (WT), BMI, Waist circumference, medical history, and abdominal CT scan. The participants those who had a history of alcohol consumption, hepatic mass and liver cirrhosis, were excluded. Liver-to-spleen ratio (L/S) <1.0 was used to diagnose the presence of liver fat. The overall prevalence of non alcoholic fatty liver in this study was (43) 14.7% using L/S ratio <1.0. There was no prevalent difference between males and females. Non alcoholic fatty liver in our population was 24.2% in obese participants (BMI >30), 20.4% and 10.3% in hypertensive and diabetic participants, respectively. Patient with NAFLD were older than Non-NAFLD (P=0.022) and there is significant relation between body weight and NAFLD (p=.031). Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is present in Sudan but is less than what one would expect based on American and European studies. Age and body weight are the major associated risk factors of NAFLD in Sudanese population. Unenhanced CT scan can be used as screening and diagnostic tools for NAFLD .And the disadvantage of the high radiation dose of the CT can be avoided by making a Single slice, low dose CT scan.