RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Association between hepatic fat and subclinical vascular disease burden in the general population
JF BMJ Open Gastroenterology
JO BMJ Open Gastro
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e000709
DO 10.1136/bmjgast-2021-000709
VO 8
IS 1
A1 Xinting Cai
A1 Susanne Rospleszcz
A1 Birger Mensel
A1 Ulf Schminke
A1 Jens-Peter Kühn
A1 Ali Alexander Aghdassi
A1 Corinna Storz
A1 Roberto Lorbeer
A1 Christopher L Schlett
A1 Wolfgang Rathmann
A1 Michael Roden
A1 Simon Hohenester
A1 Robin Bülow
A1 Fabian Bamberg
A1 Annette Peters
A1 Barbara Thorand
A1 Henry Völzke
A1 Jana Nano
YR 2021
UL http://bmjopengastro.bmj.com//content/8/1/e000709.abstract
AB Objective It is still controversial if increased hepatic fat independently contributes to cardiovascular risk. We aimed to assess the association between hepatic fat quantified by MRI and various subclinical vascular disease parameters.Design We included two cross-sectional investigations embedded in two independent population-based studies (Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP): n=1341; Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA): n=386). The participants underwent a whole-body MRI examination. Hepatic fat content was quantified by proton-density fat fraction (PDFF). Aortic diameters in both studies and carotid plaque-related parameters in KORA were measured with MRI. In SHIP, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and plaque were assessed by ultrasound. We used (ordered) logistic or linear regression to assess associations between hepatic fat and subclinical vascular disease.Results The prevalence of fatty liver disease (FLD) (PDFF >5.6%) was 35% in SHIP and 43% in KORA. In SHIP, hepatic fat was positively associated with ascending (β, 95% CI 0.06 (0.04 to 0.08)), descending (0.05 (0.04 to 0.07)) and infrarenal (0.02 (0.01 to 0.03)) aortic diameters, as well as with higher odds of plaque presence (OR, 95% CI 1.22 (1.05 to 1.42)) and greater cIMT (β, 95% CI 0.01 (0.004 to 0.02)) in the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted model. However, further adjustment for additional cardiometabolic risk factors, particularly body mass index, attenuated these associations. In KORA, no significant associations were found.Conclusions The relation between hepatic fat and subclinical vascular disease was not independent of overall adiposity. Given the close relation of FLD with cardiometabolic risk factors, people with FLD should still be prioritised for cardiovascular disease screening.Data are available upon reasonable request. The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to data protection reasons. The data are available in an anonymised form on reasonable request to the corresponding author.