Fatty changes in the liver: the relation to age, overweight and diabetes mellitus.

Fatty changes in the liver were investigated and quantified in 678 consecutive autopsies. The changes were classified into four groups: no changes 46%, slight changes 43%, moderate changes 9%, severe changes 2%. A clear positive correlation was found between the degree of overweight and the degree of fatty changes in the liver. The fatty changes were found to be reversible. However, in emaciated patients with a long disease period the number of cases with pronounced fatty changes were significantly increased. No relation was found between diabetes and fatty changes in the liver. In patients more than 40 years old no correlation was found between age and the degree of fatty changes in the liver.