Incidence and risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A 7-year follow-up study among urban, adult Sri Lankans

Madunil A Niriella; Arunasalam Pathmeswaran; Shamila T De Silva; Anuradhani Kasturiratna; Ruwan Perera; Chamila E Subasinghe; Kuleesha Kodisinghe; Chathura Piyaratna; Vithiya Rishikesawan; Anuradha S Dassanayaka; Arjuna P De Silva; Rajitha Wickramasinghe; Fumihiko Takeuchi; Norihiro Kato; Hithanadura J de Silva

doi:10.1111/liv.13478

Incidence and risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A 7-year follow-up study among urban, adult Sri Lankans

Liver Int. 2017 Nov;37(11):1715-1722. doi: 10.1111/liv.13478. Epub 2017 Jun 10.

Authors

Madunil A Niriella¹, Arunasalam Pathmeswaran¹, Shamila T De Silva¹, Anuradhani Kasturiratna¹, Ruwan Perera², Chamila E Subasinghe², Kuleesha Kodisinghe², Chathura Piyaratna², Vithiya Rishikesawan², Anuradha S Dassanayaka¹, Arjuna P De Silva¹, Rajitha Wickramasinghe¹, Fumihiko Takeuchi³, Norihiro Kato³, Hithanadura J de Silva¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
² University Medical Unit, Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
³ National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

PMID: 28544258
DOI: 10.1111/liv.13478

Abstract

Background: This study investigated incidence and risk factors for NAFLD among an adult cohort with 7-year follow-up.

Methods: The study population (age-stratified random sampling, Ragama MOH area) was screened initially in 2007 (aged 35-64 years) and re-evaluated in 2014 (aged 42-71 years). On both occasions assessed by structured interview, anthropometric measurements, liver ultrasound, biochemical and serological tests. NAFLD was diagnosed on ultrasound criteria, safe alcohol consumption and absence of hepatitis B/C markers. Non-NAFLD controls did not have any ultrasound criteria for NAFLD. An updated case-control genetic association study for 10 selected genetic variants and NAFLD was also performed.

Results: Out of 2985 of the original cohort, 2148 (72.0%) attended follow-up (1238 [57.6%] women; mean-age 59.2 [SD-7.6] years) in 2014, when 1320 (61.5%) were deemed NAFLD subjects. Out of 778 who initially did not have NAFLD and were not heavy drinkers throughout follow-up, 338 (43.4%) (221 [65.4%] women, mean-age 57.8 [SD-8.0] years) had developed NAFLD after 7-years (annual incidence-6.2%). Central obesity (OR=3.82 [95%-CI 2.09-6.99]), waist increase >5% (OR=2.46 [95%-CI 1.20-5.05]) overweight (OR=3.26 [95%-CI 1.90-5.60]), weight gain 5%-10% (OR=5.70 [95%-CI 2.61-12.47]), weight gain >10% (OR=16.94 [95%-CI 6.88-41.73]), raised plasma triglycerides (OR=1.96 [95%-CI 1.16-3.29]) and diabetes (OR=2.14 [95%-CI 1.13-4.06]), independently predicted the development of incident NAFLD in multivariate analysis. The updated genetic association study (1362-cases, 392-controls) showed replicated association (P=.045, 1-tailed) with NAFLD at a candidate locus: PNPLA3 (rs738409).

Conclusions: In this community cohort study, the annual incidence of NAFLD was 6.2%. Incident NAFLD was associated with general and central obesity, raised triglycerides and diabetes, and showed a tendency of association with PNPLA3 gene polymorphisms.

Keywords: Sri Lanka; fatty liver; incidence; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; risk factors.

MeSH terms

Adult
Asian People / genetics*
Diabetes Complications
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Genetic Association Studies
Humans
Incidence
Lipase / genetics*
Logistic Models
Male
Membrane Proteins / genetics*
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / epidemiology*
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / genetics*
Obesity / complications
Polymorphism, Genetic
Risk Factors
Sri Lanka / epidemiology
Triglycerides / blood

Substances

Membrane Proteins
Triglycerides
Lipase
adiponutrin, human