The Burden of NAFLD and Its Characteristics in a Nationwide Population with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective. We studied the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its clinical correlates in a population of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods. Clinical data of 94,577 T2DM patients were retrieved from 160 diabetes clinics in Italy in a standardized format and...

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Main Authors: Gabriele Forlani, Carlo Giorda, Roberta Manti, Natalia Mazzella, Salvatore De Cosmo, Maria Chiara Rossi, Antonio Nicolucci, Paolo Di Bartolo, Antonio Ceriello, Pietro Guida, AMD-Annals Study Group
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Journal of Diabetes Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/2931985
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Summary:Objective. We studied the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its clinical correlates in a population of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods. Clinical data of 94,577 T2DM patients were retrieved from 160 diabetes clinics in Italy in a standardized format and centrally analyzed anonymously. After exclusion of 5967 cases (high or uncertain alcohol intake), in 38,880 the Fatty Liver Index (FLI) was used as a proxy for the diagnosis of NAFLD. Factors associated with FLI assessed NAFLD (FLI-NAFLD) were evaluated through multivariate analysis. Results. FLI-NAFLD was present in 59.6% of patients. Compared to non-NAFLD, FLI-NAFLD was associated with impairment in renal function, higher albumin excretion, HbA1c and blood pressure, lower HDL cholesterol, and poorer quality of care. ALT was within normal limits in 73.6% of FLI-NAFLD patients (45.6% if the updated reference values were used). The prevalence of FLI-NAFLD did not differ if the whole sample (94,577 cases) was examined, irrespective of alcohol intake. Conclusions. FLI-NAFLD was present in the majority of T2DM patients of our sample and metabolic derangement, not alcohol consumption, was mainly associated with the disease. FLI-NAFLD patients have a worse metabolic profile. ALT levels are not predictive of NAFLD.
ISSN:2314-6745
2314-6753