Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver in the general Dutch population and in groups at increased risk

Background and aim Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as a liver fat content ≥5.56%. It is of clinical interest to know the prevalence of NAFLD in people with a combination of metabolic risk factors. We aimed to examine the prevalence of NAFLD, including groups with metabolic risk factors. Methods and results In this cross-sectional analysis of the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) study, liver fat content was assessed using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS). Participants with excessive alcohol consumption or missing values were excluded, leaving a total of 1570 participants for the analyses. Mean (SD) age of the population was 55 years, BMI 25.9 (4.0) kg/m2 and 46% were men. The prevalence of NAFLD was 27% (95% CI 24–30). The prevalence of NAFLD was increased in participants with hypertriglyceridemia (57%, 52–63), obesity (62%, 58–66) and diabetes (69%, 61–77). The prevalence of NAFLD was highest in those with diabetes and obesity (79%, 71–87), obesity and hypertriglyceridemia (81%, 76–86) and with diabetes and hypertriglyceridemia (86%, 77–95). NAFLD was also present in 12% (8-16) of participants without overweight. Conclusions The prevalence of NAFLD in a middle-aged population in the Netherlands in 2010 was 27%. The prevalence of NAFLD is particularly increased in individuals with diabetes, obesity, and hypertriglyceridemia. This information may help clinicians and general practitioners in the risk stratification of their patients in daily practice.