Association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and... : Coronary Artery Disease (original) (raw)

Pathophysiology and Natural History

Arslan, Uğura; Türkoğlu, Sedata; Balcioğlu, Serhata; Tavil, Yusufa; Karakan, Tarkanb; Çengel, Atiyea

Departments of aCardiology

bGastroenterology, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey

Correspondence to Dr Uğur Arslan, MD, Department of Cardiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Beşevler, Ankara, Turkey

Tel: +90 312 2025629; fax: +90 312 2129012;

e-mail: [email protected]

Received 8 February 2007 Revised 28 April 2007 Accepted 4 May 2007

Abstract

Aims

To demonstrate whether there is a relationship between the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the presence and extent of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Patients and methods

Ninety-two consecutive patients who planned to undergo coronary angiographies (CAG) without known CAD, other than findings of acute coronary syndrome, were enrolled in this study. Abdominal ultrasonography was performed before the CAG to detect NAFLD. CAD was defined as a stenosis of at least 50% in at least one major coronary artery. The extent of CAD was measured according to the number of major coronary artery/arteries affected by CAD. All the risk factors for CAD were included in a binary logistic regression model. Forward, backward, or step-wise selections were not used. P<0.05 was accepted as being significant.

Results

Sixty-five of the 92 patients (70.7%) were detected, by abdominal ultrasonography, to have fatty liver and 43 patients out of 92 (46.7%) were detected, by CAG, to have significant CAD. According to the results of logistic regression analysis, the presence of NAFLD independently increased the risk for CAD, as seen in CAG [odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI): 6.73 (1.14–39.61); _P_=0.035]; this was despite factoring in the other risk factors for CAD and the components of metabolic syndrome. NAFLD was more commonly found in patients as the extent of CAD increased (_P_=0.001).

Conclusion

The presence of NAFLD is independently associated with the presence and extent of CAD. Future studies are needed to explain the mechanisms of this relationship.