Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to collect the clinical data of middle-aged and elderly patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to explore the incidence of gallstone disease (GD) and its relation to the metabolic risk factors.Methods The clinical data of middle-aged and elderly patients with NAFLD found by physical examination were analyzed between January 2018 and December 2020, and the diagnosis of NAFLD and GD were based on sonography. The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were applied to determine the independent risk factors related to the concomitant GD.Results Out the 216 patients with NAFLD found by physical examination, the GD was diagnosed in 52 cases; the age in patients with GD was (62.4±11.3)yr, significantly older than [(54.2±9.0)yr, P<0.05] in patients without GD, the incidence of diabetes in patients with GD was 23.1%, significantly greater than 12.8% in patients without GD (P<0.05), the diastolic blood pressure in patients with GD was (87.5±10.2)mmHg, significantly higher than [(75.5±9.9)mmHg, P<0.05] in patients without GD, and the fasting blood glucose (FBG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in patients with GD were (7.2±1.5)mmol/L and (1.0±0.3)mmol/L, significantly different compared to [(6.0±1.7)mmol/L and (1.3±0.3)mmol/L, respectively, P<0.05] in patients without GD; the incidence of diabetes, high blood pressure, the body mass index and diastolic blood pressure in patients with GD were 23.1%, 61.5%, (26.1±2.3)kg/m² and (87.5±10.2)mmHg, significantly different compared to [9.5%, 41.0%, (23.2±2.7)kg/m² and (72.2±9.8)mmHg] in healthy individuals (P<0.05); the FBG, serum ALT, AST, TG, TC, LDL-C and HDL-C levels in patients with GD were (7.2±1.5)mmol/L,(48.4±8.5)U/L,(54.5±6.3)U/L, (4.9±1.0)mmol/L, (5.2±1.0)mmol/L, (3.5±0.7)mmol/L and (1.0±0.3)mmol/L, significantly different compared to [(5.4±1.3)mmol/L, (17.7±9.6)U/L, (18.5±7.0)U/L, (1.3±0.7)mmol/L, (4.8±1.1)mmol/L, (2.1±0.6)mmol/L and (1.6±0.3)mmol/L, respectively, P<0.05] in healthy persons; the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the ages, FBG, blood TG, LDL-C and HDL-C levels were the independent risk factor for patients with NALFD having concomitant GD (P < 0.05).Conclusion In the middle-aged and elderly patients with NAFLD, the increase of FBG and the decrease of blood HDL-C levels might hint the concomitant existence of GD, and the healthy education should be strengthened for individuals with risk factors for occurrence of GD, and early sonography should be carried out to find it.

Key words: Nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases, Gallstone disease, Fasting blood glucose, High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, Risk factors