Descriptive study of hepatic steatosis and associated morbidity in Primary Care. (ESTEATOAP Study)

Objective: To study the recorded prevalence of hepatic steatosis in Primary Care, as well as the proportion of patients diagnosed with fatty liver diseases (FLD) including simple non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) versus steatosis by other causes. In addition, the proportion of cardiometabolic morbidities associated with NAFLD liver was studied. Material and methods: A descriptive observational study was carried out on a population that included all patients with a recorded diagnosis of hepatic steatosis in an urban health centre that serves a population of 25,747 over the age of 14. A sample size of 229 patients was calculated. The demographic and clinical characteristics associated with hepatic steatosis are described. Results: The prevalence of steatosis was 2.17% and 1.51% for NAFLD. The mean age was 62.42 years. The study included 114 (50.2%) women and 113 (49.8%) males. NAFLD was found in 147 (64.8%), and 64 (28.2%) were steatosis due to other causes. The proportion of patients with NAFLD and high transaminases was 24.13%, and the proportion of patients with NAFLD and GGT elevation was 18.6%. A high proportion of NAFLD had been found with cardiometabolic risk factors: 93.9% overweight and obesity, 55.1% diabetes, 54.4% hypertension, 32.9% metabolic syndrome, 35.2% hypertriglyceridaemia, and HDL risk 19.6%. A significant association was found between cardiometabolic risk factors and NAFLD in diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Discussion: Prevalence was only 1.51%, perhaps because of the low importance given to this disease. There is a high proportion of NAFLD with cardiometabolic risk factors and more in the general population. If all the causes of steatosis are considered there is a significant association between obesity, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome with NAFLD. Conclusions: The recorded prevalence of NAFLD is much lower than that of population studies, and a high presence of cardiometabolic factors has been found in these patients. (C) 2020 Sociedad Espanola de Medicos de Atencien Primaria (SEMERGEN). Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.