Prevalence of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Its Associated Factors in Admixed Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes: a Cross-sectional Study in a Tertiary Care Center in Brazil

Background: Data on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in admixed individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is lacking. We investigated NAFLD in an admixed population with T1D from a tertiary care center in Brazil. Methods: Ninety-five participants with T1D, aged 39 ± 13 years, with disease duration of 21 ± 9 years, being 55 (57.9%) females, from a university hospital in Rio de Janeiro, were screened for NAFLD with hepatic ultrasound (US) and transient elastography (TE). Results: Prevalence of NAFLD was, respectively, 12.6% and 16.8% when US and TE were used. Fibrosis was present in 8% of participants. A total of 31.6% of participants had at least one of the hepatic exams altered, which was associated with higher anthropometric measurements, presence of metabolic syndrome and higher triglycerides levels, even within the normal range.Conclusion: In our study, prevalence of NAFLD in US approximates from the one found with TE. Screening should be reserved for participants with T1D and metabolic syndrome, as this was the main factor associated with NAFLD. Triglycerides levels were the only component of metabolic syndrome associated with NAFLD. Further studies are necessary to determine the best screening strategy for NAFLD in individuals with T1D from admixed populations.