Zou B, Yeo YH, Nguyen VH, Cheung R, Ingelsson E, Nguyen MH. Prevalence, characteristics and mortality outcomes of obese, nonobese and lean NAFLD in the United States, 1999-2016.
J Intern Med 2020;
288:139-151. [PMID:
32319718 DOI:
10.1111/joim.13069]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Updated prevalence and outcome data for nonobese NAFLD for the multi-ethnic US population is limited.
OBJECTIVES
We aimed to investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics and mortality of obese and nonobese individuals with NAFLD in the United Sates.
METHODS
A retrospective study was conducted using the 1999-2016 NHANES databases. We determined hazard ratio stratified by obesity status in NAFLD individuals using Cox regression and log-rank test.
RESULTS
Overall NAFLD prevalence was 32.3%: 22.7% were obese and 9.6% were nonobese, with increasing trend over time for obese NAFLD, but not nonobese NAFLD. Amongst those with NAFLD, 29.7% (95% CI: 27.8%-31.7%) were nonobese, of which 13.6% had lean NAFLD. Nonobese NAFLD was more common in older (40.9% if ≥ 65 vs. 24.2% if < 65 years), male (34.0% vs. 24.2%) and foreign-born Asian people (39.8% vs. 11.4%) and uncommon in black (11.5% vs 30-35% in other ethnicities, P < 0.001). Metabolic comorbidities were common in nonobese NAFLD individuals who also had more advanced fibrosis. Nonobese NAFLD individuals had higher 15-year cumulative all-cause mortality (51.7%) than obese NAFLD (27.2%) and non-NAFLD (20.7%) (P < 0.001). However, DM and fibrosis, but neither obese nor nonobese NAFLD compared to non-NAFLD was independently associated with higher mortality.
CONCLUSION
Nonobese NAFLD makes up about one-third of the NAFLD in the United States (even higher in older, male and foreign-born individuals) and carries higher mortality than obese NAFLD. Screening for NAFLD should be considered in high-risk groups even in the absence of obesity.
Collapse