Prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver among administrative officers in Shanghai: an epidemiological survey

AIM: To determine the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver in a specific population in Shanghai by an epidemiological survey, and to analyze risk factors of fatty liver. METHODS: Total 4009 administrative officers who denied regular alcohol drinking participated in the survey, and underwent physical examination and laboratory tests. The important parameters were body mass index (BMI), waist hip circumferences ratio (WHR) and levels of serum lipids. Diagnosis of fatty liver was based on established real-time ultrasonographic criteria, the presence of an ultrasonographic pattern consistent with "bright liver", with evident ultrasonographic contrast between hepatic and renal parenchyma, vessel blurring, and narrowing of the lumen of the hepatic veins. Analysis of data was performed through SPSS for Windows statistical package. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of fatty liver was 12.9%, 15.8% in males and 7.5% in females, and the prevalence of fatty liver in males younger than 50 years old, was significantly higher (13.3%) than that of in females (2.7%). But the difference between the sexes became less significant in people older than 50 years (19.1% vs 18.1%). The prevalence of fatty liver was increased with age; this was markedly presented in females younger than 50 years. Multiple variant regression analysis demonstrated that the prevalence of fatty liver was positively correlated to several risk factors, including male, aging (> 50yr), hyperlipidemia, impaired glucose tolerance/diabetes mellitus, hypertension and overweight/obesity. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver among certain population in Shanghai, to which overweight and hyperlipidemia are closely relevant.