Prevalence and predictors of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with morbid obesity.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is highly prevalent in morbid obesity (MO). A considerable proportion of patients with MO have non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Liver biopsy (LB) is the only procedure that reliably differentiates NASH from other stages of NAFLD, but its invasive nature prevents it from being generalisable. Hence, non-invasive assessment is critical in this group of patients. OBJECTIVES: To report NAFLD/NASH prevalence in a cohort of patients with MO and to identify predictors of NASH. METHODS: Fifty-two consecutive patients subjected to bariatric surgery in a University hospital in Spain underwent LB. Anthropometric, clinical and biochemical variables were registered. According of the results of the LB, individuals were classified by whether they had NASH or not. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors associated with NASH. RESULTS: NAFLD was reported in 94.2% of the patients, simple steatosis was present in 51.92% and NASH in 42.31%. Meanwhile, 17.3% of patients exhibited significant fibrosis (≥F2). HIGHT score for NASH risk was established using five independent predictors: systemic Hypertension, Insulin resistance, Gamma-glutamyl transferase, High density lipoprotein cholesterol and alanine Transaminase. This score ranges from 0 to 7 and was used to predict NASH in our cohort (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve 0.846). A score of 4 or greater implied high risk (sensitivity 77.3%, specificity 73.3%, positive predictive value 68%, negative predictive value 81.5%, accuracy 75%). CONCLUSIONS: NAFLD is practically a constant in MO with a considerable proportion of patients presenting NASH. The combination of five independent predictors in a scoring system may help the clinician optimise the selection of patients with MO for LB.

Prevalence and predictors of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with morbid obesity.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is highly prevalent in morbid obesity (MO). A considerable proportion of patients with MO have non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Liver biopsy (LB) is the only procedure that reliably differentiates NASH from other stages of NAFLD, but its invasive nature prevents it from being generalisable. Hence, non-invasive assessment is critical in this group of patients. OBJECTIVES: To report NAFLD/NASH prevalence in a cohort of patients with MO and to identify predictors of NASH. METHODS: Fifty-two consecutive patients subjected to bariatric surgery in a University hospital in Spain underwent LB. Anthropometric, clinical and biochemical variables were registered. According of the results of the LB, individuals were classified by whether they had NASH or not. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors associated with NASH. RESULTS: NAFLD was reported in 94.2% of the patients, simple steatosis was present in 51.92% and NASH in 42.31%. Meanwhile, 17.3% of patients exhibited significant fibrosis (≥F2). HIGHT score for NASH risk was established using five independent predictors: systemic Hypertension, Insulin resistance, Gamma-glutamyl transferase, High density lipoprotein cholesterol and alanine Transaminase. This score ranges from 0 to 7 and was used to predict NASH in our cohort (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve 0.846). A score of 4 or greater implied high risk (sensitivity 77.3%, specificity 73.3%, positive predictive value 68%, negative predictive value 81.5%, accuracy 75%). CONCLUSIONS: NAFLD is practically a constant in MO with a considerable proportion of patients presenting NASH. The combination of five independent predictors in a scoring system may help the clinician optimise the selection of patients with MO for LB.

Dietary folate intake and metabolic syndrome in participants of PREDIMED-Plus study: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: We examined the association between dietary folate intake and a score of MetS (metabolic syndrome) and its components among older adults at higher cardiometabolic risk participating in the PREDIMED-Plus trial. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis with 6633 with overweight/obesity participants with MetS was conducted. Folate intake (per 100 mcg/day and in quintiles) was estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire. We calculated a MetS score using the standardized values as shown in the formula: [(body mass index + waist-to-height ratio)/2] + [(systolic blood pressure + diastolic blood pressure)/2] + plasma fasting glucose-HDL cholesterol + plasma triglycerides. The MetS score as continuous variable and its seven components were the outcome variables. Multiple robust linear regression using MM-type estimator was performed to evaluate the association adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: We observed that an increase in energy-adjusted folate intake was associated with a reduction of MetS score (ß for 100 mcg/day = - 0.12; 95% CI: - 0.19 to - 0.05), and plasma fasting glucose (ß = - 0.03; 95% CI: - 0.05 to - 0.02) independently of the adherence to Mediterranean diet and other potential confounders. We also found a positive association with HDL-cholesterol (ß = 0.07; 95% CI: 0.04-0.10). These associations were also observed when quintiles of energy-adjusted folate intake were used instead. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that a higher folate intake may be associated with a lower MetS score in older adults, a lower plasma fasting glucose, and a greater HDL cholesterol in high-risk cardio-metabolic subjects.

Performance of Noninvasive Liver Fibrosis Scores in the Morbid Obese Patient, Same Scores but Different Thresholds.

INTRODUCTION: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease. It is a spectrum of progressive alterations, with the final step in liver fibrosis which carries a high burden of long-term mortality. The scores used to predict liver fibrosis are not properly validated in morbid obesity (MO). Our aim was to evaluate the performance of seven risk scores in bariatric surgery (BS) patients. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis in a cohort of 60 patients with MO undergoing BS. Liver biopsy (LB) was taken and compared with fibrosis risk assessed by noninvasive scores: APRI, FIB-4, Forns, NFS (NAFLD fibrosis score), BARD, BAAT, and Hepamet. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) and measures of diagnostic accuracy were calculated; performance of fibrosis scores was evaluated at standard threshold vs those suggested by ROC analysis. RESULTS: LB was available in 50 patients; 9 (18%) had significant fibrosis (F2-F4). The BARD and Forns scores best predicted the absence of fibrosis, both with negative predictive value (NPV) of 95.5%, with AUROC of 0.761 and 0.667, respectively. Modification of standard thresholds (2 for BARD and 6.9 for Forns) to those suggested by ROC analysis (3 and 3.6, respectively) improved performance of scores. Basal glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), aspartate transaminase (AST), and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) were identified by logistic regression analysis as independent predictor of fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Existing scoring systems are unable to stratify fibrosis risk in MO using established thresholds; its performance is improved if these cutoffs are modified.