Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis independent of obesity and metabolic syndrome in Asian Indians.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the association of subclinical atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Asian Indians.

METHODS: This study included 40 non-diabetic subjects with NAFLD and 40 apparently healthy controls without NAFLD with similar age, gender and body mass index. Measurements included anthropometric parameters, oral glucose tolerance test, fasting and 2 h insulin, lipid profile, C-reactive protein, sICAM-1, VCAM-1, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and brachial artery flow mediated dilatation (FMD).

RESULTS: Subjects with NAFLD had higher average and maximum CIMT (0.6 ± 0.12 and 0.684 ± 0.16 mm, respectively, vs 0.489 ± 0.1 and 0.523 ± 0.1 mm, respectively; p < 0.05), and had higher prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques (20% vs 5%, p < 0.05) than controls. Significantly greater degree of impairment in FMD and higher levels of hs-CRP and sICAM-1 were observed in NAFLD patients than controls. The presence of NAFLD was observed to be the independent predictor of having high average CIMT (OR 4.8; 95% CI: 1.8-12.8), high maximum CIMT (OR 5.4; 95% CI: 2.0-14.4) and impaired FMD (OR 11.7; 95% CI: 1.4-96.5) even after adjusting for obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and lipid parameters.

CONCLUSION: In Asian Indians NAFLD is significantly associated with subclinical atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction independent of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Elevated levels of hs-CRP and sICAM-1 may be useful as indicators of liver injury in NAFLD.