Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a Saudi Cohort With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The increased prevalence of obesity in both the developed and developing worlds paved the way to the increased prevalence of yet another obesity-related complication significant enough to be considered within the roster of major public health threats: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It has been estimated that approximately 20% to 30% of the adult population harbors NAFLD. It is also the most common liver pathology among children of developed countries. Unfortunately, despite the alarming figures, NAFLD remains largely underdiagnosed, probably because of its less aggressive nature and benign presentation compared with other liver diseases. Thus, it is apparent that NAFLD, being a precursor to more serious liver conditions such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, should be given equal, if not greater, clinical significance.

Accumulating evidence has pointed to parallel clinical similarities between NAFLD and metabolic syndrome (MetS), the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors with insulin resistance as the common unifying factor. It is well established that persons with MetS are at greater risk of progressing to major chronic non-communicable diseases such as coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Consequently, patients with T2DM are more likely to develop NAFLD. Obesity is acknowledged as one of the common denominators linking NAFLD, MetS, and T2DM, making dietary and lifestyle modifications the gold standard for the treatment of these clinical entities aside from pharmacotherapy that aims to improve insulin sensitivity. Therefore, it is important to better understand the intricate pathophysiology of NAFLD among patients with T2DM so that future interventions will be aimed at reversing complications.

Our current knowledge of NAFLD in terms of prognosis and treatment is promising yet inconclusive, which means that further investigations using prospective approaches are required. Only recently was a consensus design for clinical trials and endpoints for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) reported. In this follow-up study, the investigators attempt to decipher the natural history of hepatic steatosis among patients with T2DM using state-of-the-art methods in a well-characterized Saudi cohort. Diabetes, and its related medical complications, have been identified as one of the priority areas of the National Plan for Science and Technology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Inclusion criteria

• Subject has provided informed consent prior to screening
• Men and women aged 18 to 60 years
• T2DM

Exclusion criteria

• Evidence of hepatic decompensation (ascites, clinical jaundice-bilirubin ≥ 40 µmol/L, encephalopathy)
• Preexisting hepatocellular carcinoma
• Other preexisting hepatic or extrahepatic malignancy
• Previous overt ischemic heart disease (myocardial infarction or acute coronary syndrome) or cerebrovascular disease (stroke or transient ischemic attack)
• Previous coronary artery bypass grafting, angioplasty, or stenting
• Any other issues that, in the opinion of the investigators, may preclude satisfactory completion of the study protocol