Relation Between Non- Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Bone Mineral Density in Egyptian Adults

INTRODUCTION:

In general, the prevalence of NAFLD has increased over the last 20 years. The Middle East and South America have the highest NAFLD prevalence at 31% and 32% respectively with the lowest prevalence in Africa at 13.5% .

NAFLD is closely associated with metabolic disorders, including central obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, hyperglycaemia and persistent abnormalities of liver function tests. NAFLD was shown to be connected with diseases that are usually not dependent on obesity, such as sarcopenia and osteoporosis In general NAFLD is a common denominal for a broad spectrum of damage to the liver, which can be due to hepatocyte injury, inflammatory processes and fibrosis. This is normally seen on liver biopsy and can range from milder forms (steatosis) to the more severe forms (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver failure). In these patients, advanced fibrosis is the major predictor of morbidity and liver-related mortality, and an accurate diagnosis of NASH and NAFLD is mandatory .

Osteoporosis is a group of bone diseases with various causes, including general factors related to aging, obesity and sex steroid deficiency, as well as specific risk factors such as the use of glucocorticoids, reduced bone quality, and disruption of microarchitectural integrity. In most cases of osteoporosis, the reduction in bone tissue is mainly due to increased bone resorption. Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD), bone pain and easy fracture.Osteoporosis is a silent disease until fractures occur with increasing frequency, which can cause important problems and even death. In industrialized countries, 9%-38% of women and 1%-8% of men >50 years suffer from osteoporosis.

Therefore, osteoporosis is not only harmful to health but also increases the financial burden of the impacted countries.