Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its association with metabolic syndrome in the preoperative period in patients undergoing bariatric surgery

Objective

To investigate the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome (MS) in the preoperative period in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

Methods

A total of 68 medical records of patients from a center for advanced treatment of obesity in the city of Caxias do Sul, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were reviewed. The variables analyzed were gender, age, biochemical parameters (fasting glucose, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides), abdominal ultrasound, blood pressure, and anthropometric data (weight, height, waist circumference, and body mass index [BMI]). The diagnosis of NAFLD was obtained by abdominal ultrasonography; the diagnosis of of MS was obtained according to the protocol described by the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III, updated by the American Heart Association; and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Results

72.1% (n = 49) of the sample consisted of females, and the mean age for the sample was 37.57 ± 10.29 years. The mean weight was 123.14 ± 25.40 kg, mean height was 1.67 ± 0.09 m, and mean BMI was 56.24 ± 9.30 kg/m². A total of 60% (n = 27) of patients with MS (p = 0.008), 63.4% (n = 26) of patients with hypertension (p = 0.013), and 66.7% (n = 18) of patients with altered glucose levels (p = 0.028) were diagnosed with NAFLD.

Conclusion

The results of this study showed that the diagnosis of MS, as well as the presence of disorders associated with this syndrome (obesity, hypertension, and high blood glucose levels) are strongly associated with the presence of NAFLD.