The impact of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on carotid artery intima-media thickness as a risk factor for atherosclerosis

Cristina Alina Silaghi; Anca Elena Craciun; Daniel Tudor Cosma; Horatiu Silaghi; Romina Negru; Cristina Feurdean; Andrada Oltean; Nicolae Hancu; Carmen Georgescu

doi:10.1530/endoabs.37.EP518

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Endocrine Abstracts (2015) 37 EP518 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.37.EP518

ECE2015 Eposter Presentations Diabetes (complications & therapy) (143 abstracts)

The impact of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on carotid artery intima–media thickness as a risk factor for atherosclerosis

Cristina Alina Silaghi ^1, , Anca Elena Craciun ² , Daniel Tudor Cosma ² , Horatiu Silaghi ² , Romina Negru ² , Cristina Feurdean ² , Andrada Oltean ² , Nicolae Hancu ² & Carmen Georgescu ²

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¹County Clinic Emergency Hospital Cluj, Cluj, Romania; ²‘Iuliu Hatieganu’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania.

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome and is closely associated with abdominal obesity, atherogenic dyslipidaemia, and diabetes exposing subjects with NAFLD to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of NAFLD in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, to correlate it to the subclinical atherosclerosis in these patients.

Description of method: One hundred and twenty-four consecutive patients with type 2 DM were enrolled. NAFLD was diagnosed using fatty liver index (FLI), an algorithm based on BMI, waist circumference, triglycerides, and gamma glutamyl-transferase (GGT). Carotid atherosclerosis (intima–media thickness (IMT)) was evaluated by high-resolution carotid B-mode ultrasonography. Plasma liver function tests and other biochemical blood measurements were determined.

Results: Patients were divided into three groups: G1: FLI <30 (n=56); G3: FLI >60 (n=40); and G2: intermediate group (n=28). The prevalence of NAFLD using FLI ≥60 in DM patients was 40 patients (32%). CIMT increased with FLI (G3=0.54±0.08 mm vs G1=0.40±0.08 mm, P<0.0001). FLI was associated with increased LDL cholesterol (r=0.38), alanine aminotransferase (r=0.55), BMI (r=0.34), diastolic blood pressure (r=0.41) and triglycerides (r=0.49), and reduced HDL cholesterol (r=−0.52) and insulinaemia (r=−0.30, all P<0.0001). The correlations hold also in multivariate analysis after adjusting for age and gender. Behavioural variables (smoking and diet) and fasting plasma glucose, did not significantly differ between subjects with and without FLI.

Conclusion: NAFLD increases the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in DZ patients. DM patients with NAFLD in our study showed significant correlation with cardiovascular risk factors.

Disclosure: European Social Found, Houman Resources Development Operational Programme 2007–2013, projet no. POSDRU/159/1.5/138776.