BACKGROUND/AIMS: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with dyslipidemia, obesity, and insulin resistance, which are the main features of metabolic syndrome. First, we examined the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among patients with NAFLD. We then compared the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in simple steatosis with that in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Finally, we sought to identify clinical factors associated with the stage of liver fibrosis. METHODS: From November 2002 to March 2004, we enrolled consecutive 25 patients with NAFLD from patients visiting outpatient clinic. The 17 controls were healthy persons who visited our health promotion center. We compared the clinical and biochemical data of the NAFLD group with those of the control group. Using histologic findings, we divided NAFLD into simple steatosis and NASH. We then compared the clinical and biochemical data of the simple steatosis group with those of the NASH group. RESULTS: Fourteen patients (14/25, 56%) had metabolic syndrome in the NAFLD group. There was no difference in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome between the simple steatosis (5/10, 50%) and the NASH group (9/15, 60%). We found significant differences in cardiovascular risk factors between the two groups, but homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance was the only significantly different factor between the simple steatosis group and the NASH group. In addition, no difference in histological features was found between NASH with metabolic syndrome and without metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable number of patients with NAFLD had metabolic syndrome. There was a close correlation between NAFLD and metabolic syndrome. We could not find any cardiovascular risk factors that could predict a severe fibrosis.
Adult ; English Abstract ; Fatty Liver/*complications ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*complications ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of preemptive swallowing stimulation on the recovery of swallowing function in long-term intubated patients. METHOD: Patients in the intensive care unit intubated for at least 48 hours due to respiratory distress from March to August 2003 were randomly assigned to two groups. Fifteen patients were stimulated (experimental group), and 18 patients were not stimulated (control group). The duration of intubation was 15.5+/-6.7 days in the experimental group and 15.7+/-6.5 days in the control group. Duration of stimulation in the experimental group was 7.3+/-3.6 days. After extubation, we compared the severity of dysphagia via video-fluoroscopic swallowing study. RESULTS: There was no difference in percentage of aspiration and swallowed volume between two groups. Oral transit time of the experimental group (0.37+/-0.07 sec) was significantly shorter than that of the control group (0.83+/-0.10 sec), and the oropharyngeal swallowing efficiency of the experimental group (73.3+/-17.4%/sec) was significantly higher than that of the control group (50.1+/-13.0%/sec). CONCLUSION: Preemptive swallowing stimulation in long term intubated patients may facilitate recovery of dysphagia.
Deglutition Disorders ; Deglutition* ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Intubation