DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2022.v10i06.028

Pages: 1039-1047

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a major hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome and is closely intertwined with a constellation of cardiometabolic risk factors including insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, central obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Understanding the burden and trajectory of these risk factors across NAFLD severity grades is essential for clinical risk stratification and timely intervention. Objective: This prospective hospital-based cohort study aimed to characterise the cardiometabolic risk factor profile among patients with NAFLD of varying severity grades and to evaluate the association between these risk factors and disease progression over a 15-month observation period at a tertiary care centre in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Methods: A total of 30 patients diagnosed with NAFLD via ultrasound and transient elastography (FibroScan) between January 2021 and April 2022 were enrolled. Clinical, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters were recorded at baseline and follow-up. Severity was graded as mild, moderate, or severe. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify independent predictors of advanced NAFLD. Results: The mean age of patients was 43.2±9.8 years (63.3% male). Dyslipidaemia was the most prevalent comorbidity (73.3%), followed by hypertension (60.0%), obesity (53.3%), T2DM (46.7%), and metabolic syndrome (36.7%). Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), BMI, and triglyceride levels were significantly higher with increasing NAFLD severity (p<0.001 for all). On multivariate analysis, HOMA-IR (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.38–2.84), BMI (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.23–2.32), and hypertriglyceridaemia (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.15–1.98) emerged as independent predictors of severe NAFLD. Disease progression was documented in 23.3% of patients at follow-up. Conclusion: Cardiometabolic risk factors are highly prevalent in NAFLD patients and demonstrate a graded relationship with disease severity. Compre