CAROTID INTIMA-MEDIA THICKNESS IS INCREASED IN FATTY LIVER PATIENTS EVEN IF NOT INCLUDED IN NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE

Abstract

Background and Aims: There have been many reports about Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) patients have increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) as cardiovascular risk factor. But there is little information about fatty liver patients who are not included in NAFLD. We aimed to compare NAFLD and other than NAFLD through carotid IMT measurement.

Methods: Medical records of persons who were measured carotid IMT and performed abdominal ultrasonography between January 2006 and December 2008 at Korea University Ansan Hospital Health Promotion Center were retrospectively reviewed. Groups were divided as group A (no fatty liver, n = 108), group B (NAFLD-fatty liver with alcohol intake <140g/week in male and <70g/week in female, n = 48) and group C (fatty liver but not included in NAFLD, n = 45), and compared carotid IMT, metabolic syndrome component (2005 NECP guideline-waist, HDL, Triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure). P-value <0.05 was considered to be significant.

Results: Mean carotid IMT were group A 0.52±0.1 mm, group B 0.59±0.1 mm, group C 0.59±0.1 mm and there were significant difference between group A and group B (p = 0.001), group A and group C (p = 0.001). But there were no difference between group B and group C (p = 0.763). Mean body mass index of group A, group B and group C were 23.3±2.8 kg/m2, 27.1±3.3 kg/m2 and 26.6±2.4 kg/m2, and there was no significant difference between group B and group C (p = 0.453) and both were higher than group A (p < 0.001). Mean number of metabolic syndrome component were group A 1.1±1.0, group B 2.4±1.3, group C 2.1±1.2, and group B and group C were higher than group A (p < 0.001) but there was no difference between group B and group C (p = 0.305).

Conclusions: We could assume that patients with fatty liver have increased cardiovascular risk irrespective of whether it is NAFLD or not. Larger scale prospective study is needed.