Anzeige
Erschienen in:
12.02.2024 | Original Article
Diagnosis of hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis in people with new-onset type 2 diabetes: a multidisciplinary approach
Erschienen in: Endocrine | Ausgabe 2/2024
Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhaltenAbstract
Aims
Non-Alcoholic-Fatty-Liver-Disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in Western countries; closely linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), it is an additional cardiovascular risk factor. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of NAFLD at T2DM onset.
Methods
122 newly diagnosed T2DM patients were enroled; NAFLD was diagnosed using ultrasound and fibrosis risk calculated with an FIB4-score. Intermediate and high-risk patients were referred to a hepatologist and underwent transient elastography (TE).
Results
At T2DM diagnosis, 25% of patients were overweight, 47% were obese; ultrasound steatosis was present in 79% of patients; the average FIB-4 score was 1.4 (0.7). The NAFLD population was characterised by higher presence of obesity (60%, p 0.06); hypertension (56%, p 0.00); AST (26.3 (23.6) UI/L; p 0.00); ALT (49.3(41.0) UI/L p 0.00); FIB-4 score (1.6 (0.8); p 0.00). Among patients referred to a hepatologist, at TE, 65% had severe steatosis, 22% significant fibrosis and 25% advanced fibrosis.
Conclusion
This is the first proposal of a NAFLD screening model at T2DM diagnosis. The high prevalence of fibrosis found at the early stage T2DM confirms the compelling need for early management of NAFLD through cost-effective screening and long-term monitoring algorithms.