Low prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 1 diabetes is associated with decreased subclinical cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been proposed as an independent cardiovascular risk factor. The present study evaluated the prevalence of NAFLD in a cohort of type 1 diabetic (T1D) patients and its potential relationship with subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD).

METHODS

One hundred T1D patients (mean [±SD] age 39.4 ± 7.8 years, disease duration 21.7 ± 8.6 years) were included in the present cross-sectional study. All subjects underwent abdominal ultrasonography for detection of NAFLD, carotid ultrasonography to measure the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and atheroma plaques, and cardiac tomography for evaluation of the coronary artery calcium score (CACS).

RESULTS

Of the study cohort, 12% had NAFLD and 23% had a CACS >0. The T1D subjects with NAFLD had a greater CIMT than those without NAFLD (0.65 ± 0.17 vs 0.55 ± 0.14 mm; P = 0.029), but there were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to CACS, glycemic control, or the presence of carotid plaques. Patients with high liver enzyme concentrations (>20 U/L) had a higher CIMT (0.60 ± 0.16 vs 0.54 ± 0.13; P = 0.04) and there was a higher proportion of altered CACS (17 [73.9%] vs 6 [26.1%]; P = 0.001) and detection of carotid plaques (10 [76.9%] vs 3 [23.1%]; P = 0.014) in this group.

CONCLUSIONS

A low prevalence of NAFLD was found in the T1D cohort that was associated globally with a low proportion of abnormal CVD imaging markers, although these imaging parameters were worse in subjects in whom NAFLD was detected.