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- Title
Preventable predictors of liver fibrosis in a general population.
- Authors
Roozafzai, Farzin; Malekzadeh, Fatemeh; Gandomkar, Abdullah; Fattahi, Mohammad Reza; Sadaf, Ghajarieh Sepanlou; Sharafkhah, Maryam; Shahin, Merat; Poustchi, Hossein; Malekzadeh, Reza
- Abstract
Introduction: High burdens and rising trends of obesity-related non-communicable diseases in developing countries may lead to chronic liver diseases, particularly liver fibrosis (LF) and cirrhosis. Screening to detect LF and cirrhosis is performed in subjects known to be at risk. However, many individuals may develop LF while being asymptomatic and present to clinics in a late-stage liver disease when treatment is more complicated and less effective. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and associations of LF in an Iranian asymptomatic general population. Methods: Of 9264 participants in the Pars Cohort Study in Iran, those who had no apparent liver diseases were screened with liver function test and complete blood count. Nine hundred and fifty participants with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or depleted platelets underwent a second blood sampling. Using transient elastography, we evaluated liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in 249 subjects who had elevated ALT or depleted platelets in both blood samples. LSM > 8 and > 14 kilopascals were cut-offs for clinically significant fibrosis (CF) and possible liver cirrhosis (LC), respectively. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regressions to investigate the predictors of CF and LC. Results: Mean age of subjects was 49.79 ± 7.81 years; and 59.8% were female. CF and LC were 12.5% and 4.8% prevalent, respectively. Twenty-five percent of subjects with LC had viral hepatitis. Through multivariate modeling, infection with hepatitis B or C virus predicted both CF (Odds Ratio = 5.47) and LC (OR = 10.05); uric acid level was inversely associated with CF (OR = 0.40) and LC (OR = 0.25); presence of diabetes mellitus (OR = 6.14), central obesity (OR = 2.92), and elevated aspartate aminotransferase (OR = 1.03) were other predictors of CF. Conclusion: We identified viral hepatitis, obesity, and diabetes mellitus as predictors of LF in an asymptomatic population. Attending to these predictors in the general population with simple and cost-effective preventative measures can decrease liver disease development and its burden in Iran.
- Subjects
IRAN; CONFERENCES &; conventions; CIRRHOSIS of the liver; DIAGNOSIS
- Publication
Iranian Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology (GOVARESH), 2017, Vol 22, Issue 3, p13
- ISSN
1560-7186
- Publication type
Article