Health-related Quality of Life in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Associates With Hepatic Inflammation

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Chronic liver disease has negative effects on health-related quality of life (HRQL). We analyzed data from the European non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) registry to assess the effects of NAFLD on HRQL. METHODS: We collected data from 304 patients (mean age, 52.3 +/- 12.9 years) with histologically defined NAFLD enrolled prospectively into the European NAFLD Registry in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain. The chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ) was completed within 6 months of liver biopsy collection. RESULTS: The mean CLDQ overall score was 5.0 +/- 1.2, with the lowest score in the category fatigue (4.3 +/- 1.6) and the highest scores for activity (5.4 +/- 1.4). Women had significantly lower CLDQ scores than men (4.6 +/- 1.3 vs 5.3 +/- 1.1; P < .001). We found negative correlations between CLDQ scores and presence of obesity (P < .001), type 2 diabetes (P < .001), and dyslipidaemia (P < .01). There was a negative correlation between level of aspartate aminotransferase, but not alanine aminotransferase, and HRQL. Higher histological score of steatosis (1 vs 3) resulted in lower mean CLDQ score (5.3 +/- 1.1 vs 4.5 +/- 1.4; P < .01); higher level of lobular inflammation (0 vs 3) also resulted in lower mean CLDQ score (5.3 +/- 1.2 vs 3.9 +/- 1.8; P <. 001). In contrast, advanced fibrosis (F3-4) compared to early or intermediate fibrosis (F0-2) had no significant effect on mean CLDQ score (4.9 +/- 1.2 vs 5.1 +/- 1.3; P = .072). In multivariate analysis, patients sex, age, presence of type 2 diabetes, and inflammation were independently associated with low HRQL. CONCLUSIONS: In an analysis of data from the European NAFLD registry, we observed a substantial burden of symptoms in patients. In addition to age, sex, and the presence of diabetes, detection of lobular inflammation in biopsies correlated with lower HRQL.