Korean J Gastroenterol.  2013 Dec;62(6):344-351. 10.4166/kjg.2013.62.6.344.

Common Carotid Intima-media Thickness in Patients with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Population-based Case-control Study

• Lankarani
• Mahmoodi M
• Lotfi M
• Zamiri N
• Heydari ST
• Ghaffarpasand F
• Fallahzadeh MK
• Babaeinejad M
• Maharlouei N
• Mirzaee O
• Geramizadeh B
• Peymani P

• KMID: 1711290
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4166/kjg.2013.62.6.344

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Metabolic syndrome is a well-known risk factor for atherosclerosis. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has features of metabolic syndromes. This study aimed to investigate the association between NAFLD and atherosclerosis.
METHODS
In a population-based study in southern Iran, asymptomatic adult inhabitants aged more than 20 years were selected through cluster random sampling, and were screened for the presence of fatty liver and common carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), with abdominal and cervical ultrasonography, respectively. Those with fatty liver were compared to the same number of individuals without fatty liver.
RESULTS
Two hundred and ninety individuals were found to have fatty change on abdominal ultrasonography, and were labeled NAFLD. Compared to normal individuals, NAFLD patients had significantly higher prevalence of increased CIMT (OR, 1.66; p<0.001). Those with hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), higher waist circumference (WC) and older ages had significantly higher prevalence of thick CIMT. Through adjusting the effects of different variables, we indicated that NAFLD could be an independent risk factor for thick common carotid intima-media (OR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.17-3.09; p=0.009). It was also shown that age could be another independent risk factor for thick CIMT.
CONCLUSIONS
Individuals with risk factors such as HTN, DM, and high WC are prone to develop atherosclerosis of the carotid artery. The presence of NAFLD should be considered as another probable independent factor contributing to the development of carotid atherosclerosis.

Keyword

Thickness, intima-media; Artery, common carotid; Liver, fatty

MeSH Terms

Abdomen/ultrasonography
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Carotid Arteries/ultrasonography
*Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
Case-Control Studies
Diabetes Complications
Fatty Liver/epidemiology/*ultrasonography
Female
Humans
Hypertension/complications
Male
Middle Aged
Odds Ratio
Risk Factors
Waist Circumference

Figure

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  Fig. 1. A flow chart of the study.

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  Fig. 2. Longitudinal ultrasonographic image of the common carotid artery. Longitudinal ultrasonographic image of the common carotid artery, showing the carotid intima-media thickness in the posterior wall (diameter: 11 mm [A], 7 mm [B]).

Reference

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