Prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its association with age in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Ryosuke Yamane; Kentaro Yoshioka; Kazuhiko Hayashi; Yuko Shimizu; Yuki Ito; Komei Matsushita; Michiyo Yoshizaki; Go Kajikawa; Taro Mizutani; Atsuko Watarai; Kosuke Tachi; Hidemi Goto

doi:10.4254/wjh.v14.i6.1226

Prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its association with age in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

World J Hepatol. 2022 Jun 27;14(6):1226-1234. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i6.1226.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Federation of National Public Service Personnel Mutual Aid Associations Meijo Hospital, Nagoya 460-0001, Aichi, Japan.
² Center for Liver Diseases, Federation of National Public Service Personnel Mutual Aid Associations Meijo Hospital, Nagoya 460-0001, Aichi, Japan. kyoshiok@fujita-hu.ac.jp.
³ Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Federation of National Public Service Personnel Mutual Aid Associations Meijo Hospital, Nagoya 460-0001, Aichi, Japan.

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Aim: To determine the prevalence and clinical correlates of NAFLD in a large cohort of patients with T2DM.

Methods: Four hundred thirty-seven participants with T2DM who consulted at Meijo Hospital from April 2019 to September 2020 and underwent computed tomography (CT) were assessed. The mean age was 74 ± 13 years, and 269 were men. Hepatic attenuation minus splenic attenuation (CT_L-S) less than 1 Hounsfield unit was considered fatty liver. NAFLD was defined as fatty liver in the absence of significant alcohol consumption and hepatitis virus infection. A multiple logistic regression was used to assess the independent factors associated with NAFLD.

Results: NAFLD was identified in 25.2% of the participants. Young age (odds ratio [OR] = -0.945; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.922-0.969), higher hemoglobin levels (OR = 1.501, 95%CI: 1.278-1.764), lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (OR = 0.971, 95%CI: 0.953-0.989), and the absence of dialysis (OR = 0.109, 95%CI: 0.014-0.856) were independent predictors of NAFLD.

Conclusion: NAFLD was detected with CT in 25.2% of the participants. NAFLD was associated with younger age, higher hemoglobin levels, lower HDL cholesterol levels, and an absence of dialysis.

Keywords: Age; Computed tomography; Dialysis; Hemoglobin; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Type 2 diabetes mellitus.