Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with progression of arterial stiffness

N Li; G-w Zhang; J-r Zhang; D Jin; Y Li; T Liu; R-t Wang

doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2014.10.002

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with progression of arterial stiffness

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2015 Feb;25(2):218-23. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2014.10.002. Epub 2014 Oct 12.

Authors

N Li¹, G-w Zhang², J-r Zhang³, D Jin³, Y Li⁴, T Liu⁵, R-t Wang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
² Department of Cardio-Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
³ Department of Geriatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
⁴ Department of Geriatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China; International Physical Examination and Healthy Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
⁵ Division of Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
⁶ Department of Geriatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. Electronic address: ruitaowang@126.com.

PMID: 25456154
DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2014.10.002

Abstract

Background and aims: NAFLD is an independent risk factor for increased cardiovascular disease. Arterial stiffness is an index of subclinical atherosclerosis. The aims of this study were to examine prospectively the relationship between Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the progression of arterial stiffness.

Methods and results: A prospective study of 728 men and 497 women free of hypertension, and diabetes at the baseline were conducted. The subjects were followed for 5 years. The progression rate of arterial stiffness was measured by calculating the increase in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) the changes of the baPWV (adjusted for age) during the study period was significantly greater in the patients with NAFLD (172.4 ± 42.1 cm/s for men, 95.8 ± 36.7 cm/s for women) than in the subjects without NAFLD (70.3 ± 56.5 cm/s for men, 55.4 ± 42.2 cm/s for women). For the subjects with metabolic syndrome, after adjusting for multiple risk factors, NAFLD was a significant predictor of baPWV progression (for male, β = 0.843; P < 0.001; for female, β = 0.575; P < 0.001, respectively). In addition, results were unmodified in subjects without metabolic syndrome.

Conclusions: NAFLD was found to be an independent predictor of faster progression of baPWV even after adjusting other cardiovascular risk factors. These prospective data support a pathogenic role for NAFLD in the development of arterial stiffness.

Keywords: Arterial stiffness; Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Ankle Brachial Index
Blood Flow Velocity
Body Mass Index
Cardiovascular Diseases / complications
Cardiovascular Diseases / pathology*
Disease Progression
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Metabolic Syndrome / complications
Metabolic Syndrome / pathology
Middle Aged
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / complications
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / pathology*
Prospective Studies
Pulsatile Flow
Pulse Wave Analysis
Risk Factors
Vascular Stiffness*