Impact of Overseas Deployment on Fatty Liver and Metabolic Diseases Among Korean Soldiers

Abstract

Background The prevalence of metabolic diseases is increasing worldwide and is influenced by multiple environmental, psychological, and dietary factors. As overseas deployment (OD) of Korean soldiers brings about changes in these factors, this study aimed to explore the impact of OD on metabolic diseases. Materials and Methods We collected paired health checkup data of Korean soldiers between January 2020 and December 2022, before and after their deployment. We analyzed changes in lipid profile, fasting glucose, and liver function biomarkers during OD and compared the prevalence of metabolic diseases before and after the OD. Results A total of 2,953 soldiers were enrolled. During OD, body weight, body mass index, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and fasting glucose levels decreased significantly. Furthermore, the prevalence of obesity, impaired fasting glucose, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease decreased significantly from 45.78% to 33.49%, P < .001; 38.60% to 34.41%, P < .001; and 24.89% to 18.88%, P < .001, respectively. In a subgroup analysis of participants with long-term deployment (duration >365 days), only the prevalence of obesity decreased significantly during deployment, whereas the prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia increased. Conclusions Metabolic biomarkers improved, and the prevalence of metabolic diseases decreased significantly during OD. However, personnel with long-term deployment did not experience significant improvements in these parameters. Further analysis is needed to identify the factors influencing these discrepancies.