title: Association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and coronary artery disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate whether there is a relationship between the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the presence and extent of coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-two consecutive patients who planned to undergo coronary angiographies (CAG) without known CAD, other than findings of acute coronary syndrome, were enrolled in this study. Abdominal ultrasonography was performed before the CAG to detect NAFLD. CAD was defined as a stenosis of at least 50% in at least one major coronary artery. The extent of CAD was measured according to the number of major coronary artery/arteries affected by CAD. All the risk factors for CAD were included in a binary logistic regression model. Forward, backward, or step-wise selections were not used. P<0.05 was accepted as being significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-five of the 92 patients (70.7%) were detected, by abdominal ultrasonography, to have fatty liver and 43 patients out of 92 (46.7%) were detected, by CAG, to have significant CAD. According to the results of logistic regression analysis, the presence of NAFLD independently increased the risk for CAD, as seen in CAG [odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI): 6.73 (1.14-39.61); P=0.035]; this was despite factoring in the other risk factors for CAD and the components of metabolic syndrome. NAFLD was more commonly found in patients as the extent of CAD increased (P=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of NAFLD is independently associated with the presence and extent of CAD. Future studies are needed to explain the mechanisms of this relationship.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey. ugurarslan5@yahoo.com
authors: Uğur
authors: U
authors: Arslan
authors: Sedat
authors: S
authors: Türkoğlu
authors: Serhat
authors: S
authors: Balcioğlu
authors: Yusuf
authors: Y
authors: Tavil
authors: Tarkan
authors: T
authors: Karakan
authors: Atiye
authors: A
authors: Cengel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography