Frequency of incidental fatty liver on ultrasound and its association with diabetes mellitus and hypertension

Objective: To see the frequency of incidental fatty liver on ultrasound and its association with diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from January 2016 to June 2016 in the department of Surgery and Radiology at Hamdard University Hospital. Patients of both genders and all ages were selected by non purposive convenience sampling. Critically ill, trauma cases and all those patients who had a history of chronic liver disease, alcohol intake and expected pregnancy were excluded. Blood pressure and random blood sugar were recorded.

Results: Six hundred patients were included in the study with mean age of 44.65±18.8 years. 240 patients (40%) had incidental finding of fatty liver on ultrasound. Out of 240 with fatty liver patients 117 were males (48.8%) and 123 were females (51.3%). Total 141 patients were diagnosed with hypertension, out of which 81(57.44%, p< 0.001) had fatty liver on ultrasound. Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed in 84 patients, in which 57 patients (67.8%, p<0.001) had fatty liver.

Conclusion: Fatty liver is a frequently found incidental finding on ultrasound. There is a significant association of fatty liver with diabetes mellitus and hypertension.