Comparison of fatty liver index with fibroscan in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

ABSTRACT Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an escalating global health issue. Early detection and precise diagnosis are imperative for effective management. To evaluate the sociodemographic and clinical attributes of study participants concerning their ultrasound grading with FibroScan and FLI values. A cross-sectional study was carried out among patients visiting gastroenterology clinics at a tertiary care hospital situated in Karachi, Pakistan. We included participants after written informed consent underwent an extensive array of laboratory assessments, encompassing liver function tests, lipid profile, fasting blood sugar analysis, hepatitis B and C screening, and abdominal ultrasound, while those with positive hepatitis B or C markers, documented alcohol use, or those who declined to offer informed consent were excluded from the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Around 225 patients were studied with a median age of 42 years (IQR = 34–50 years). Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was present in 61.8%. Steatosis was not found among 4.9% of patients, whereas severe steatosis was seen among 51.1% of patients. Significant variations in BMI, WC, GGT, and TG levels were identified when comparing FLI scores. The same was observed for the frequency of MetS as FLI scores increased. The agreement between FLI and ultrasound observations was found to be slight (k = 0.077, P = 0.027). On the multivariable regression model, having diabetes, elevated serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase levels and mild disease on ultrasound were associated with increased odds of severe steatosis. FLI is a good predictor of frequency of MetS and NAFLD and correlates well with increasing steatosis score (CAP) on FibroScan which can be utilized for early detection of NAFLD in primary care.