Mean Platelet Volumes in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): Relationship to Cardiovascular Events

1.1.Background: Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a biomarker of platelet activity and elevations in MPV have been observed in the setting of acute cardiovascular events. The role of MPV in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is unclear at this time. 1.2. Aims:The aim of this study is to assess whether increases in MPV during acute cardiovascular events (CE) are observed in patients with NAFLD. 1.3.Methods:A retrospective case control study of 104 NAFLD patients with cardiovascular events (CE) matched to 104 NAFLD patients without cardiovascular events (non-CE) was performed. Demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, types of CE, laboratory data including MPV at the time of NAFLD diagnosis, and at the time of the CE as well as medications were collected. 1.4.Results:The mean age was 56 ± 8 years (yr) with a majority of white ethnicity (CE, n= 85 versus non-CE, n=76), an average body mass index (BMI) of 31.8 ± 5.1 and little to no fibrosis as based on the APRI (0.34 ± 0.19 in CE and 0.36 ± 0.17 in non-CE group, p= 0.47). The CE group had higher cardiovascular risk calculated by the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) (24 ± 11.6%) compared to the non-CE group (18 ±12%) (p=0.0002). Importantly, the absolute changes of MPV from the time of NAFLD diagnosis (T0)to the time of the cardiovascular event (TCE) [(MPV TCE -MPVT0) were statistically higher in the CE group than in the non-CE group. Conclusion:The absolute change in the MPV level at the time of the CV event was higher in the CE group compared to the non-CE group.MPV may be a convenient marker of increased cardiovascular risk in the NAFLD population.