Hepatic Steatosis Index as an Indicator of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease among Young Women With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Background: Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is rising on a large scale and it has been linked to the metabolic syndrome. Women with polycystic ovaries frequently have symptoms of metabolic syndrome due to insulin resistance and obesity. Aim & Objectives: To determine the prevalence of NAFLD and metabolic syndrome in PCOS women who are thin, overweight, obese and also to assess the relationship between NAFLD and the different aspects of the metabolic syndrome, serum ferritin levels, liver enzymes and thyroid status. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 34 PCOS females and 34 age-matched, seemingly healthy female controls without a history of irregular menstruation were compared. Data were analysed using SPSS 25.0 software. Results: A higher percentage of PCOS patients were between the ages of 20-25 years. Majority of them were overweight and obese. Nearly 35% (12/34) of women with PCOS have been identified with metabolic syndrome and 47% (16/34) of them were found to have NAFLD. Among the PCOS women with NAFLD, 68.75% also had features of metabolic syndrome. Hepatic steatosis was present in 91.66 % of PCOS women with metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: We can infer from our results that an increasing number of younger overweight, obese women with PCOS are developing NAFLD which predisposes them to development of Non alcoholic staeatohepatitis ( NASH) which may progress onto fibrosis of liver. Screening for NAFLD among PCOS women and promotion of healthy lifestyle can help to minimize risk of liver disease.