Fatty liver and serum cholinesterase are independently correlated with HbA1c levels: Cross-sectional analysis of 5384 people

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and fatty liver markers. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis stratified subjects into quintiles based on HbA1c. Fatty liver using ultrasonography scores (FLUS) were assigned as follows: 2 points, moderate or severe fatty liver; 1 point, mild fatty liver; and 0 points, normal liver. Subjects with viral hepatitis, alcohol intake >175 g/week or receiving hypoglycaemic treatment were excluded. RESULTS: The study included 5384 subjects. Serum cholinesterase (ChE) and FLUS showed a significant graded increase with increasing HbA1c. In linear regression analysis stratified by body mass index (BMI) and age, ChE and FLUS were significantly associated with lower (1 + 2) and higher (3 + 4 + 5) HbA1c quintiles, respectively, independent of BMI and age. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show that both ChE and FLUS are significantly correlated with HbA1c, independent of BMI and age.