Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2015 Nov;25(11):2078-87.
doi: 10.1007/s11695-015-1655-1.

Prevalence and Predictors of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Morbidly Obese South Indian Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery

Palanivelu Praveenraj  1 , Rachel M Gomes  2 , Saravana Kumar  3 , Purushothaman Karthikeyan  4 , Annapoorni Shankar  5 , Ramakrishnan Parthasarathi  6 , Palanisamy Senthilnathan  7 , Subbiah Rajapandian  8 , Chinnusamy Palanivelu  9
Affiliations
Observational Study

Prevalence and Predictors of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Morbidly Obese South Indian Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery

Palanivelu Praveenraj et al. Obes Surg. 2015 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Numerous studies worldwide have identified a high prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among morbidly obese subjects. Several predictors have been found to be associated with NAFLD and its histological high-risk components. Similar data from India is lacking. We aimed to determine the prevalence and the predictors of NAFLD and its histological high-risk components in a cohort of Indians with morbid obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. Safety of a routine intraoperative liver biopsy was also assessed.

Methods: There were 134 morbidly obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery with concomitant liver biopsy. These were assessed for NAFLD and its histological high-risk components. Clinical, biochemical, and histological features were evaluated, and predictors of NAFLD, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and advanced fibrosis were identified.

Results: Mean BMI was 44.66 ± 9.81. Eighty-eight (65.7 %) showed NAFLD. Forty-five (33.6 %) showed NASH and 42 (31.3 %) showed fibrosis both not mutually exclusive. Nineteen (14.1 %) showed advanced fibrosis. Higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) independently predicted NAFLD and was significantly associated with NASH and fibrosis. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the metabolic syndrome were significantly associated with fibrosis. Systemic hypertension (HT) independently predicted NASH and fibrosis. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications related to the liver biopsy.

Conclusions: NAFLD has a high prevalence among morbidly obese patients. Elevated ALT, HT, T2DM, and the metabolic syndrome are predictors for NAFLD and its high-risk histological components. Routine intraoperative liver biopsy is safe in morbidly obese undergoing bariatric surgery for diagnosing NAFLD.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Cirrhosis; Metabolic syndrome; Morbid obesity; Non-alcoholic liver disease; Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Gastroenterology. 2001 Jul;121(1):91-100 - PubMed
    1. Gut. 2008 Oct;57(10):1441-7 - PubMed
    1. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 06;8(11):e76161 - PubMed
    1. Obes Res. 2005 Jul;13(7):1180-6 - PubMed
    1. J Gastrointest Surg. 2004 Nov;8(7):849-55 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources