Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Liver Fibrosis in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common concomitant condition in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aim to assess the magnitude of this association. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Scopus libraries for the period up to February 2023 to identify studies reporting cohorts of IBD patients in which NALFLD was evaluated. Results: Eighty-nine studies were analyzed. The overall prevalence of NAFLD was 24.4% (95%CI, 19.3–29.8) in IBD, 20.2% (18.3–22.3) in Crohn’s disease and 18.5% (16.4–20.8) for ulcerative colitis. Higher prevalence was found in male compared to female patients, in full papers compared to abstracts, and in cross-sectional studies compared to prospective and retrospective ones. The prevalence of NAFLD in IBD has increased in studies published from 2015 onwards: 23.2% (21.5–24.9) vs. 17.8% (13.2–22.9). Diagnostic methods for NAFLD determined prevalence figures, being highest in patients assessed by controlled attenuation parameter (38.8%; 33.1–44.7) compared to ultrasonography (28.5%; 23.1–34.2) or other methods. The overall prevalence of fibrosis was 16.7% (12.2–21.7) but varied greatly according to the measurement method. Conclusion: One-quarter of patients with IBD might present with NAFLD worldwide. This proportion was higher in recent studies and in those that used current diagnostic methods.