A cross-sectional study on prevalence rate and contributing factors of fatty liver diagnosed by ultrasonography

초음파로 진단된 지방간의 유병율 조사 및 그 유발인자에 대한 연구

Fatty liver is caused by derangement of fat metabolism and can be reversed by removal of contributing factors. The contributing factors of fatty liver is known to be overweight, chronic alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, malnutrition, and drug abuse such as tetracycline. This study was carried out on 1335 persons who visited 'Soon Chun Hyang Human Dock Center' from March to June 1990. In analysis of the data, prevalence of fatty liver diagnosed by ultrasonogram by age and sex, laboratory finding between fatty liver group and normal group, and odds ratio of known contributing factors, were compared. The results obtained are as following ; 1) The prevalence rate of fatty liver diagnosed by ultrasonogram is 29.6% in male and 11.5% in female. 2) Age groups with high prevalences are $40{\sim}50's$ in male (32.0%) and 50's in female (24.5%). 3) The fatty liver shows significant association with style (p<0.05), whereas not with hepatitis B-virus surface antigen (p>0.05). 4) All laboratory values except alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin are elevated significantly in accordance with the degree of fatty liver (p<0.01). 5) Fatty liver diagnosed by ultrasonogram showed so strong associations with body index, triglycerides and gamma-glutamyl transferase for males, and body index and fasting blood sugar for females that these factors may be used as supplementary data in establishing diagnosis of fatty liver. 6) Odds ratio of contributing factors are as follows ; If the odds ratio of below 29 year of age is 1.0 then that of $30{\sim}39$ is 1.74 (p=0.33), $40{\sim}49$ is 2.47 (p=0.10), $50{\sim}59$ is 2.86 (p=0.0570), over 60 is 1.81 (p=0.34). If the odds ratio of female is 1.0 then that of male is 5.67 (p<0.01). If the odds ratio of body index below zero is 1.0 then that of $0{\sim}9$ is 5.08 (p<0.01), $10{\sim}19$ is 12.37 (p<0.01), $20{\sim}29$ is 29.19 (p<0.01), 30 above is 154.02 (p<0.01). If the odds ratio of below 99 mg/dl FBS is 1.0 then that of $100{\sim}120$ is 106 (p=0.76), over 120 is 1.91 (p=0.02). If the odds ratio of below $29{\mu}/1{\gamma}-GT$ is 1.0 then that of $30{\sim}s59$ is 2.11 (p<0.01), $60{\sim}90$ is 1.87 (p<0.05), 90 above is 1.69 (p=0.15). If the odds ratio of below 149 mg/dl TG is 1.0 then $150{\sim}199$ is 1.49 (p=0.05), $200{\sim}250$ is 1.09 (P=0.77), 250 above is 2.53 (p<0.01). In summary, early diagnosis of fatty liver could be made by ultrasonogram supplemented with body index and nm triglyceride. The fatty liver could be preventive by avoiding contributing factors such as obesity, alcohol intake, high blood sugar appropriately.