Association of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with colorectal adenomatous polyps and non-adenomatous polyps: A cross-sectional study

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and both colorectal adenomatous polyps and non-adenomatous polyps, in order to provide evidence for the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients with NAFLD.
Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at the First People’s Hospital of Kunshan, Jiangsu, China. The study included 3028 adults who underwent abdominal ultrasonography and colonoscopy over a 5-year period. The authors compared characteristics among patients with adenomatous polyps, non-adenomatous polyps, and without colorectal polyps using descriptive statistics. Logistic regression analyses were used to detect associations between NAFLD with the prevalence of adenomatous polyps and non-adenomatous polyps. NAFLD was determined by abdominal ultrasound. Colorectal polyps were assessed by data in the colonoscopy report and pathology report.
Results: A total of 65% of patients with NAFLD had colorectal polys (52% adenomatous polyps and 13% non-adenomatous polyps), and 40% of patients without NAFLD had polyps (29% adenomatous polyps and 11% non-adenomatous polyps). After adjusting for confounding variables, NAFLD was significantly associated with the prevalence of adenomatous polyps in males and females (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6–2.2, p < 0.01), but was not associated with non-adenomatous polyps (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 0.9–1.5, p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with an increased risk of colorectal adenomatous polyps compared to the absence of polyps, but is not associated with an increased risk of non-adenomatous polyps. These results provide important evidence for the prevention of colorectal cancer in patients with NAFLD.

Prof. Dr. Q. Wang, Department of Gastroenterology, The First People’s Hospital of Kunshan, Kunshan, China, E-Mail: ksph_wqh@sina.com

DOI: 10.1097/meg.0000000000002636

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