| Sumario: | Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most frequent cause of fat buildup in the liver, which results in liver disease. This condition is becoming more commonplace worldwide. Knowing the causes of the disease is crucial for preventing and minimizing its effects, especially since the etiology of the condition is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between hepatic steatosis grading and the thickness of the subcutaneous fat of the anterior abdominal wall. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, all 181 patients underwent ultrasound scanning to determine the grade of their fatty liver, as well as to measure the thickness of the anterior abdominal wall's subcutaneous fat at the RUQ. The fatty liver grading was between 0 and 3. The questionnaire was filled out with the patient's height, weight, age, gender, fatty liver grade, thickness of subcutaneous fat, and underlying medical conditions. Results: This study revealed that the distribution of hepatic steatosis among 47% of participants was normal (grade 0), while 42.5%, 9.4%, and 1.1% were classified as grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 of fatty liver, respectively, as per ultrasonographic classification. Quantitative analysis of abdominal adiposity showed a mean anterior abdominal wall subcutaneous fat thickness of 16.31±6.45 mm. Crucially, subcutaneous fat thickness showed a significant positive correlation with hepatic steatosis grade (r = 0.39, p = 0.001), and each additional millimeter of fat thickness raised the likelihood of advanced steatosis. These results substantiate the clinical relevance of abdominal wall fat measurement as a potential surrogate marker for NAFLD severity. Conclusion: The current study showed that more than half of patients had fatty liver in grades 1-3, and programming to change the lifestyle of people to avoid weight gain and manage NAFLD is necessary.
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