Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease: Using the Estimation of Framingham Risk Score and Carotid Artherosclerosis.
- Author:
Shin Ho KEUM
1
;
Keun Mi LEE
;
Seung Pil JUNG
Author Information
1. Department of Family Medicine, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea. kmlee@med.yu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease;
Risk factors;
Carotid atherosclerosis
- MeSH:
Adult;
Alcohol Drinking;
Cardiovascular Diseases;
Carotid Artery Diseases;
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness;
Coronary Disease;
Dyslipidemias;
Fatty Liver;
Hepatitis;
Humans;
Logistic Models;
Mass Screening;
Obesity;
Risk Factors
- From:Korean Journal of Health Promotion
2012;12(4):163-169
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is known to be associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia and highly related to metabolic syndrome. The purpose of this study was to examine NAFLD as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease using the Framingham risk score and carotid intima media thickness. METHODS: We examined 189 Korean adults older than 20 years who participated in a health screening test and had both carotid and abdominal ultrasounds. Patients with viral hepatitis and history of cardiovascular disease and alcohol consumption (>20 g/day) were excluded. We compared clinical characteristics, the Framingham risk scores, and carotid intima media thickness according to the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. RESULTS: Framingham risk scores and the estimated 10-year risk for coronary heart disease were higher in subjects with NAFLD (11.5+/-4.7 vs 10.2+/-4.3 P=0.04, 8.7+/-7.3% vs 4.9+/-5.0% P<0.001). Carotid intima media thickness was higher in subjects with NAFLD (0.72+/-0.18 mm) compared to the controls (0.63+/-0.15 mm) (P<0.001). This result persisted significantly after adjusting for age, sex, and the 5 components of metabolic syndrome. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of NAFLD (odds ratio [OR], 2.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.495-5.812) and triglyceride level (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.041-4.066) were independently related with carotid atherosclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that NAFLD is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Physicians should be mindful of this association when seeing patients with NAFLD.
