Thyroid dysfunction in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A case-control study

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly recognized as a hepatic manifestation of metabolic dysfunction, with emerging evidence linking it to thyroid abnormalities. In this case-control study of 120 adults, thyroid dysfunction was more prevalent in NAFLD cases, with 20% having overt hypothyroidism and 5% subclinical hypothyroidism. Thyroid dysfunction increased with NAFLD severity, with overt hypothyroidism observed in 66.7% of Grade 3 cases. These findings highlight a strong association between worsening thyroid function and NAFLD severity, suggesting the need for routine thyroid screening in NAFLD management.