Cardiovascular and Kidney Assessment in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Young Adults

Aim. The aim of the study is to assess the structural and functional state of the heart and kidneys with cardiometabolic risk factors in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in young adults. Materials and Methods. The case-control study included 100 young people divided into two groups: Group 1 (“cases”) – people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 50) and Group 2 (“controls”) – people without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 50). All the probands underwent a clinical examination, a questionnaire, laboratory and instrumental examination, including an assessment of the body composition using bioelectric impedance, and ultrasound examination of kidneys and liver. Results and Discussion. The body composition of individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease had a higher value of total (27.3 [20.3-36.5] vs. 14.8 [10.7-19.8] kg, p<0.001) and visceral fat (12.5 [9-17] vs. 6.0 [4-9] kg, p<0.001). Albumin levels in the morning urine (23 [19-41] vs. 21 [10-26] mg/day, p=0.005) and albumin-creatinine ratio (2.5 [1.8-3.3] vs. 1.9 [0.7-2.6] mg/mmol, p=0.005) were higher in the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease group than in the control group. In the group with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the albumin-creatinine ratio had correlated positively with the total (r=0.312; p=0.027) and visceral fat (r=0.325; p=0.021), body mass index (r=0.337; p=0.017), and the waist/hip circumference ratio (r=0.465; p<0.001). Conclusions. The most pronounced pathological alterations in heart, such as left ventricle myocardium remodeling and hypertrophy, in vessels, such as thickening of the intima-media complex and detection of atherosclerotic plaques, and in kidneys, such as an elevated albumin-creatinine ratio in the early morning urine sample, were detected in young adults with non–alcoholic fatty liver disease. The values of the albumin-creatinine ratio had moderate positive linear correlations with the content of total and visceral fat, body mass index, and waist/hip circumference ratio.