To analyze the risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) and their relationship with metabolic syndrome(MS) in Xi′an railway workers.

From september 2013 to December 2013, five thousand cases of Xi′an railway workers were selected for evaluating the risk factors of NAFLD.The causes of fatty liver disease such as hepatitis, alcohol and drugs were excluded.Four thousand six hundred and fifteen workers were divided into NAFLD group and normal group by the results of abdominal ultrasound.The blood pressure, body mass index(BMI), waist-hip ratio, blood glucose, insulin and homeostasis madel assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), lipids, transaminase, uric acid and the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome were compared between the two groups.

There were one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight NAFLD cases(40.04%) in all cases.The detection rate of NAFLD was 37.87% in women, and 40.93% in men.The detection rate of NAFLD in young workers was lower than that in older workers.The age[(50.78±12.51)years, (47.22±14.61)years, t=-3.24, P<0.05], BMI[(26.23±3.02)kg/m², (22.40±2.62)kg/m², t=-16.32, P<0.05], waist-hip ratio(0.91±0.09, 0.85±0.09, t=-8.21, P<0.05), systolic pressure(SBP)[(127.69±18.29)mmHg, (118.32±16.93)mmHg, t=-6.54, P<0.05], diastolic pressure(DBP)[(84.82±11.21)mmHg, (78.32±9.31)mmHg, t=-7.84, P<0.05], blood glucose[(5.38±1.84)mmol/L, (4.69±1.03)mmol/L, t=-5.89, P<0.05], insulin[(10.93±4.97)μU/ml, (6.04±2.85)μU/ml, t=-2.99, P<0.05], HOMA-IR[0.89±0.20, 0.47±0.16, t=-2.61, P<0.05], cholesterol [(5.00±1.07)mmol/L, (4.59±0.85)mmol, t=-5.24, P<0.05], triglyceride[(2.37±1.59)mmol/L, (1.45±0.96)mmol/L, t=-7.22, P<0.05], alanine aminotransferase[(38.17±19.35)U/L, (22.92±14.83)U/L, t=-8.52, P<0.05], uric acid[(364.54±84.39)μmmol/L, (333.74±84.63)μmol/L, t=-4.44, P<0.05] levels in the NAFLD patients were significantly higher than those in normal group.Nevertheless, the prevalences of MS(30.95%, 21.94%) and its components [central obesity(41.40%, 30.36%), hypertension(52.60%, 43.73%), hypertriglyceridemia(49.35%, 32.42%), hyperglycemia(13.80%, 6.69%)] were significantly higher in the NAFLD patients.

Obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperuricemia are risk factors of NAFLD, and the detection rate of MS is higher in NAFLD patients.