Abstract

Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE) with Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) is used as a non-invasive method for evaluating liver steatosis and fibrosis simultaneously. In this prospective study, we aimed to assess the prevalence of liver steatosis and fibrosis, as well as the associated risk factors in Romanian medical students by VCTE and CAP score. We used a cut-off CAP score of ≥248 dB/m for the diagnosis of mild steatosis (S1), ≥268 dB/m for moderate steatosis (S2), and ≥280 dB/m to identify severe steatosis (S3). For liver fibrosis, the cut-off values were: ≤5.5 kPa, indicating no fibrosis (F0), 5.6 kPa for mild fibrosis (F1), 7.2 kPa for significant fibrosis (F2), 9.5 kPa for advanced fibrosis (F3), and 12.5 kPa for cirrhosis (F4). In total, 426 Romanian medical students (67.8% females, mean age of 22.22 ± 1.7 years) were evaluated. Among them, 352 (82.6%) had no steatosis (S0), 32 (7.5%) had mild steatosis (S1), 13 (3.1%) had a moderate degree of steatosis (S2), and 29 (6.8%) had severe steatosis (S3). Based on liver stiffness measurements (LSM), 277 (65%) medical students did not have any fibrosis (F0), 136 (31.9%) had mild fibrosis (F1), 10 (2.4%) participants were identified with significant fibrosis (F2), 3 (0.7%) with advanced fibrosis (F3), and none with cirrhosis (F4). In conclusion, the prevalence of liver steatosis and fibrosis is low among Romanian medical students.

Highlights

  • Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a significant health issue that has become the most frequent cause of chronic liver disease, affecting one-quarter of adults worldwide [1]

  • A total of 505 subjects were invited to participate in this study, 439 of which were evaluated by Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE) and Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) (Figure 1)

  • Four hundred and twenty-six medical students who met the admission standards were included in the final analysis

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Summary

Introduction

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a significant health issue that has become the most frequent cause of chronic liver disease, affecting one-quarter of adults worldwide [1]. The term “young adult” is very familiar to oncologists and refers to a population of patients starting from the age of 20 years without being able to set the upper age limit in clinical practice [8]. Among these patients, some present a number of risk factors for developing NAFLD, such as: obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), unhealthy lifestyle, smoking habits, and male sex. Some present a number of risk factors for developing NAFLD, such as: obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), unhealthy lifestyle, smoking habits, and male sex The interplay between these factors on a background of genetic predisposition may contribute to the installation of NASH [7]

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