Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic liver disease characterized by an extensive continuum of liver pathology, ranging from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. It can ultimately lead to cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. NAFLD comprises a massive socioeconomic burden, as it now represents the most common cause of chronic hepatic disease worldwide. The thyroid hormone plays an important role in glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and insulin resistance. Emerging evidence has indicated the relationship between thyroid hormone concentration and NAFLD. Rochon et al. first reported the association between hypothyroidism and insulin resistance in 2003. Several other studies demonstrated that the morbidity of NAFLD has an inverse association with thyroid hormone levels in the hypothyroid or euthyroid populations.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study,155 randomly selected people were divided into two different groups, one group was people who were diagnosed positive for NAFLD and another group that was negative for NAFLD. After clinical examination and taking a blood test for both groups, the results of the examination and the blood test were obtained to find the relevance of NAFLD with hyperthyroidism. Finally after obtaining the results of the control group with the experimental group.
Results: 1. TSH levels were higher in people with NAFLD than in people without NAFLD
2. A significant difference in the prevalence of SH (subclinical hypothyroidism) was also observed in these people compared to people without NAFLD.
3. Also, the level of ALT, AST, and HOMA_IR was higher in people with NAFLD than in people without NAFLD.
4. People with high degrees of obesity (severe obesity) showed SH 1.21, while in obese people with NAFLD, this rate increased to 32.3.
5. On the other hand, the comparison of the studied population according to the presence of SH showed that the percentage of NAFLD was significantly higher in children with SH compared to people without SH.
It examines the relationship between the prevalence of thyroid disorders in the study population without NALFD and with NALFD in a larger group of children and shows that patients with NALFD had a higher level of TSH than those without NALFD. It shows that children who have SH are more likely to suffer from NALFD than children who do not have it. Children with obesity with two disorders SH and NAFLD showed a higher percentage of BMI SDS, HOMA_IR. Also, the duration of obesity (the amount of time a person has spent with obesity during his life) was relatively higher in these people.
In general, the investigation in the study population (n: 2275) showed: that TSH levels were inversely related to TM6SF2 genotypes, but:
The same review and analysis (including gender, duration of obesity, TM6SF2 and PNPLA3 genotypes, as well as BMI-SDS HOMA, LDL, and triglycerides) in patients with or without NAFLD showed that: The inverse and significant association of TSH with TM6SF2 genotypes has been confirmed only in the group with NAFLD.
Conclusion: Finally, according to the obtained data as well as the results of the statistical analysis of the data, we come to the conclusion that these two diseases are related to each other and affect each other. This result can play a significant role in the treatment and control of these two diseases in patients. Also, these results are helpful for the patients who are suffering from one of these two diseases to prevent the other disease and have a colorful role in this matter. This article also opens the way for future researches and can help to expand the research in this field.