Publication:

Cardiovascular disease risk assessment in diabetes and metabolic syndrome patients with and without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background Recently non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been suggested as independent cardiovascular (CVD) risk factor and many studies have shown strong links between NAFLD and CVD but NAFLD has not been related to cardiovascular mortality independently on a long term follow up. Inflammation and oxidative stress is well recognized factors for NALFD which lead to many interrelated factors contributing to cardiovascular risk.

Aim To study the cardiovascular disease risk in diabetes and metabolic syndrome patients with and without NAFLD using different risk assessment calculators.

Methods This was a single center, prospective cross sectional study. 62 patients with diabetes and metabolic syndrome attending the endocrinology & gastroenterology clinics of Osmania General Hospital were enrolled in to the study with 31 patients in group A (NAFLD) and 31 patients in group B (Non-NAFLD). Patients were diagnosed with fatty liver by ultrasound examination.

Results The groups were individually evaluated for cardiovascular risk assessment by PROCAM risk score, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) score and atherosclerosis Index. The means ± standard(%) deviation of Procam risk score for NAFLD group was 6.00 ± 1.00 and for Non NAFLD group it was 10.00 ± 2.00 (p=0.039). ASCVD risk score shows 5.11 ± 1.12 for NAFLD and Non NAFLD group showed 8.25 ± 2.18 (p=0.235). The Atherosclerosis index for NAFLD group was 0.24 ± 0.03 and Non NAFLD 0.18 ± 0.04 (p=0.785). The QRsik2 score for NAFLD and Non-NAFLD patients was 13.16 ± 7.56 and 17.45 ± 10.36.

Conclusions There was no difference in CVD risk assessment when assessed with different calculators in this population.