Key result
Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and a high risk of advanced fibrosis exhibited impaired cardiac autonomic function and a significantly wider QRS complex compared to healthy controls (96 ms vs 64 ms, p=0.007).
Why the study?
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has been associated with small bowel bacterial overgrowth and cardiometabolic dysfunction, but cardiometabolic parameters and SIBO across different degrees of hepatic fibrosis estimated by NFS required evaluation.
Does worsening of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) correlate with impaired cardiometabolic function and intestinal bacterial overgrowth in adults?
Cross-Sectional (n=78)
No
Does worsening of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) correlate with impaired cardiometabolic function and intestinal bacterial overgrowth in adults?
Absolute Event Rate: 96% vs 64%
p-value: p=0.007
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been associated with small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and cardiometabolic dysfunction. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the cardio-metabolic parameters and SIBO in patients with different degrees of hepatic fibrosis estimated by NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS). METHODS: Subjects (n = 78) were allocated to three groups: Healthy control (n = 30), NAFLD with low risk of advanced fibrosis (NAFLD-LRAF, n = 17) and NAFLD with a high risk of advanced fibrosis (NAFLD-HRAF, n = 31). Anthropometrics, blood pressure, electrocardiogram and heart rate variability (HRV) were evaluated. Only the NAFLD-LRAF and NAFLD-HRAF groups were submitted to blood biochemical analysis and glucose hydrogen breath tests. RESULTS: The NAFLD-HRAF group had higher age and body mass index when compared to the control and NAFLD-LRAF groups. The prevalence of SIBO in the NAFLD group was 8.33%. The low frequency/high-frequency ratio (LF/HF ratio) was augmented in NAFLD-LRAF (p < 0.05) when compared with control group. NAFLD-HRAF group had a wide QRS complex (p < 0.05) and reduced LF/HF ratio (p < 0.05) compared to the control and NAFLD-LRAF groups. Serum levels of albumin and platelets were more reduced in the NAFLD-HRAF subjects (p < 0.05) than in the NAFLD-LRAF. CONCLUSIONS: NAFLD impairs cardiac autonomic function. Greater impairment was found in subjects with a worse degree of hepatic fibrosis estimated by NFS. Hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia were higher in subjects with a worse degree of hepatic fibrosis, whereas prevalence of SIBO positive was similar between the groups.
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Lira et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (n=78). High risk of advanced fibrosis in NAFLD vs. Healthy controls and NAFLD with low risk of advanced fibrosis was evaluated on QRS interval (p=0.007). Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and a high risk of advanced fibrosis exhibited impaired cardiac autonomic function and a significantly wider QRS complex compared to healthy controls (96 ms vs 64 ms, p=0.007).
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