Table 1.
Baseline characteristics
| Patient characteristics | Overall (n=762) |
Suspected ArLD referrals* (n=231) |
Suspected NAFLD referrals† (n=531) |
|
| Age (mean; SD) | 55.52±13.53 | 54.68±12.37 | 55.88±14 | p=0.262 |
| Male, n (%) | 464 (60.9%) | 176 (76.2%) | 288 (54.2%) | p<0.001 |
| BMI (mean; SD) | 30.85±6.23 | 27.9±5.46 (n=174) | 31.9±6.15 | p<0.001 p<0.001 |
| >25, n (%) | 608/732 (83.1) | 149/211 (70.6) | 459/521 (88.1) | p<0.001 |
| >30, n (%) | 350/675 (51.9) | 56/185 (30.3) | 294/490 (60) | |
| Alcohol intake U/w (median, IQR) | 5 (0–42.75) | 70 (42–134.8) | 0 (0–7) | p<0.001 |
| N= | 738 | 226 | 512 | |
| Years of harmful drinking | p<0.001 | |||
| Median (IQR) | 0 (0–3) | 20 (6–30) | 0 (0–0) | |
| Total, n= | 598 | 143 | 455 | |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 235/760 (30.9) | 38/231 (16.5) | 197/529 (37.2) | p<0.001 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 397/761 (52.2) | 113/231 (48.9) | 284/530 (53.6) | p=0.236 |
| Hypercholesterolaemia, n (%) | 352/759 (46.4) | 81/231 (35.1) | 271/528 (51.3) | p<0.001 |
| Smoking status | p<0.001 | |||
| Non-smoker, n (%) | 369/681 (54.2) | 65/204 (31.9) | 304/477 (63.7) | |
| Smoker, n (%) | 150/681 (22) | 96/204 (47.1) | 54/477 (11.3) | |
| Ex-smoker, n (%) | 162/681 (23.8) | 43/204 (21.1) | 119/477 (24.9) | |
| ALT, median (IQR) | 45 (30–67) | 47 (30–68) | 45 (30–67) | p=0.360 |
| N= | 761 | 231 | 530 | |
| Deprivation score rank median (IQR) | 11 314 (6451–17 642) | 10 648 (6100–17 464) | 11 637 (6578–17 761) | p=0.326 |
| Deprivation score decile | p=0.264 | |||
| 1 | 51 (6.7%) | 12 (5.2%) | 39 (7.3%) | |
| 2 | 146 (25.9%) | 53 (28.1%) | 93 (24.9%) | |
| 3 | 134 (43.4%) | 42 (46.3%) | 92 (42.2%) | |
| 4 | 107 (57.5%) | 30 (59.3%) | 77 (56.7%) | |
| 5 | 101 (70.7%) | 33 (73.6%) | 68 (69.5%) | |
| 6 | 82 (81.5%) | 26 (84.8%) | 56 (80%) | |
| 7 | 64 (89.9%) | 17 (92.2%) | 47 (88.9%) | |
| 8 | 44 (95.7%) | 8 (95.7%) | 36 (95.7%) | |
| 9 | 22 (98.6%) | 6 (98.3%) | 16 (98.7%) | |
| 10 | 11 (100%) | 4 (100%) | 7 (100%) | |
| Had biopsy, n (%) | 122/762 (16%) | 10/231 (4.3%) | 112/531 (21.1.%) | p<0.001 |
| Had FibroScan, n (%) | 575/762 (75.5%) | 158/231 (68.4%) | 417/531 (78.5%) | p=0.003 |
| Valid FibroScan reading‡ | 524/575 (91%) | 140/158 (89%) | 389/417 (93%) | |
| FibroScan median KPa (IQR) | 5.5 (4.5–7.7) | 6 (4.7–8.5) | 5.4 (4.4–7.5) | p=0.03 |
*Where primary reason for referral from GP was for suspected alcohol-related liver disease.
†Where primary reason for referral from GP was for suspected NAFLD.
‡FibroScan results were considered invalid if: IQR/M>30%, success rate <60%, <10 valid readings or if this information was not recorded in the FibroScan report (missing information about IQR/M ratio/success rate made up n=22/575 FibroScan results).
ALT, alanine aminotransferase; ArLD, alcohol-related liver disease; BMI, body mass index; GP, general practitioner; NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; U/w, units per week.