Functional dyspepsia (FD) is more commonly seen in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) compared to controls without liver disease, suggests a new study.

People with NAFLD often complain of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Dyspepsia is one of the most common GI complaints in the general population. However, its prevalence in people with NAFLD has not been explored.

Lima and colleagues thus sought to compare the prevalence of FD between patients with NAFLD and controls without hepatic disease. They conducted a cross-sectional study at the Outpatient Liver Clinic, University Hospital, Belo Horizonte, in Brazil, with 96 NAFLD patients and 105 controls without liver disease. The study participants were evaluated for GI symptoms in line with the Rome III criteria. Participants were evaluated using a questionnaire for FD (validated in Brazil), laboratory tests and upper GI endoscopy.

• Patients with NAFLD had a higher prevalence of FD (25.0% vs. 12.4%; P = 0.021) and a higher frequency of proton-pump inhibitor use (31.3% vs. 4.8%; P < 0.001).
• The symptom frequencies in NAFLD patients and controls were:
• Postprandial distress - 22.9% vs. 11.4% (P = 0.030);
• Postprandial fullness - 18.8% vs. 10.5% (P = 0.095);
• Early satiation - 8.3% vs. 5.7% (P = 0.466); and
• Epigastric pain/burning - 18.8% vs. 5.7% (P = 0.004).
• According to multivariate analysis, female sex (odds ratio, OR 6.97; P = 0.013) and NAFLD diagnosis (OR 2.45; P = 0.021) had an independent association with the occurrence of FD.

To conclude, FD occurrence is more common in those with NAFLD than in controls without liver disease.

Source: Lima ÉC, Passos MDCF, Ferolla SM, et al. High prevalence of functional dyspepsia in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a cross-sectional study. Sao Paulo Med J. 2022 Jan 17;S1516-31802022005001201.