Key result
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of carotid plaques (57.8% vs 37.5%, adjusted RR 1.85) and increased carotid intima-media thickness.
Why the study?
Does the presence of NAFLD associate with increased carotid intima-media thickness and carotid plaque prevalence in outpatients?
Cross-Sectional (n=154)
No
Does the presence of NAFLD associate with increased carotid intima-media thickness and carotid plaque prevalence in outpatients?
Relative Risk: 1.85 (95% CI 1.33–2.57)
Absolute Event Rate: 57.8% vs 37.5%
p-value: p=<0.001
An incidental finding of hepatic steatosis on abdominal ultrasound is associated with a significantly increased risk of silent carotid atherosclerotic lesions.
NAFLD may flag higher subclinical carotid atherosclerosis risk in outpatients; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
AIM: To ascertain whether carotid lesions are more prevalent in outpatients with incidental findings of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) at abdominal ultrasound (US). METHODS: One hundred and fifty-four consecutive outpatients (age range 24-90 years, both sexes) referred by general practitioners for abdominal US, and drinking less than 20 g alcohol/day, underwent carotid US for an assessment of carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT) and carotid plaque prevalence. Hepatic steatosis, visceral fat thickness and subcutaneous fat thickness were also assessed at ultrasonography. RESULTS: Higher c-IMT values were found in the presence of NAFLD (90 patients), even after adjustment for indices of general and abdominal obesity and for the principal cardiovascular risk factors (0.84 +/- 0.10 mm vs 0.71 +/- 0.10 mm, P < 0.001). The prevalence of carotid plaques was 57.8% in the patients with NAFLD vs 37.5% in the patients without this condition (P = 0.02). The adjusted relative risk of having carotid plaques for patients with NAFLD was 1.85 (95% CI: 1.33-2.57, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: An incidental finding of hepatic steatosis may suggest the presence of silent carotid atherosclerotic lesions.
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Ramilli et al. (2009) conducted a cross-sectional in Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (n=154). Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) vs. Outpatients without NAFLD was evaluated on Carotid plaque prevalence (RR 1.85, 95% CI 1.33-2.57, p=<0.001). Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of carotid plaques (57.8% vs 37.5%, adjusted RR 1.85) and increased carotid intima-media thickness.
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