Characterization of an At-Risk Population for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in a Primary Care Setting Along the U.S.–Mexico Border

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the burden of suspected nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in a predominantly Hispanic patient population and explore the utility of the American Gastroenterological Association’s NAFLD Clinical Care Pathway (CCP). Methodology: Electronic medical records ( n = 223) were used to divide patients into risk groups based on the amount of metabolic risk factors they presented, diabetic status, or if they presented other liver diseases. Fribosis-4 (FIB-4) scores were used to determine the risk for advanced fibrosis. Results: Most patients (83.8%) were considered at risk for NAFLD based on CCP criteria, and about a third of patients (33.2%) were found to be at indeterminate ( n = 60; 26.9%) or high risk ( n = 14; 6.3%) for advanced fibrosis. Most indeterminate-risk patients (78.3%) were not referred for liver imaging. Discussion: This study demonstrates the potential of the CCP as a corrective tool that could help to better identify and screen patients at risk for NAFLD.