Abstract:
Chronic Liver Disease (CLD) is the end-stage manifestation of every
chronic progressive liver disease. In Sri Lanka previous study represents that Diabetic
mellitus, Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia, and Hypothyroidism are the significant
associated medical risk factors, identifying these associated risk factors significantly
helps in the prevention and effective management of CLD.
Objectives: To assess the prevalence of the associated medical-related factors
associated with chronic liver disease among patients of the gastroenterology clinic at
Teaching Hospital Jaffna.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among chronic
liver disease patients attending the gastroenterology clinic at the Teaching Hospital
Jaffna. A total of 99 patients who consented to participate were enrolled. Ethical
approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of the Faculty of
Medicine, University of Jaffna. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire,
and variables such as Diabetic mellitus, Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia,
Hypothyroidism, and methotrexate use were analyzed by univariate analysis using
SPSS 27.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 49.86 years (range 12-78), and the
majority (52.5%) of them were male. According to this study, for Non-Alcoholic
Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), diabetes mellitus was highly prevalent (45.5%).
Hypertension & hyperlipidemia were both found in 31.3% of participants.
Methotrexate use was reported in 14.1% of participants, 15.2% of participants had
hypothyroidism, and Rheumatoid Arthritis was seen in 12.1% of participants. Only
2% reported a family history of liver disease.
Conclusions: Several medical-related risk factors are associated with CLD among
participants attending the gastroenterology clinic in Jaffna; among them, diabetic
mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hypothyroidism are the significant
contributors to CLD. To improve the outcome of the patients, early diagnosis through
the liver function test and risk-based management protocols should be implemented.
