The elderly with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are more at risk for cirrhosis, plus even higher mortality. However, few studies of NAFLD focused on the elderly. This study explores prevalence of NAFLD to determine related factors among the elderly in Taiwan.

Hospital-based, retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed medical records of elderly patients receiving periodic health examination at a medical center in Taichung, Taiwan, during 2000 to 2004. Subjects with alcoholism, hepatitis B surface antigen positive, or hepatitis C virus antibody positive were excluded. Each subject received anthropometric measurement, biochemical testing, and abdominal ultrasonography; 521 underwent further analysis.

There were 258 men (49.5%) and 263 women (50.5%), mean age 70.3±4.6 years (range 65–87). Overall NAFLD prevalence was 50.1%, no significant difference between men and women (46.1% vs. 54.0%, P>0.05). Controlling for covariates, multivariate logistic regression pinpointed factors for NAFLD: generalized obesity (OR=2.59, 95% CI=1.50–4.48), central obesity (OR=1.85, 95% CI=1.20–2.87), hyperglycemia (OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.01–2.23), hypertriglyceridemia (OR=2.00, 95% CI=1.22–3.30), and elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (OR=6.43, 95% CI=2.00–20.61). Smoking proved negatively correlated with NAFLD (OR=0.55, 95% CI=0.31–0.97).

This study discloses NAFLD prevalence among the elderly in Taiwan as above 50%. Related factors include obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperglycemia, and elevated ALT. Despite the high prevalence in the elderly population, we identified no unique risk factors when comparing with other Oriental and European studies.