[Associations of non alcoholic fatty liver with the metabolic syndrome and serum carotenoids].
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to investigate the associations of non alcoholic fatty liver with metabolic syndrome and the serum carotenoids.


METHODS
This study was conducted in a general hospital in South Korea from November, 2004 to August, 2005. The study subjects were 350 sampled persons who were aged from 40 years and older (males: 180, females: 170). They were grouped into the normal, mild and severe groups according to fat accumulation in their livers, as determined by ultrasonography. We analyzed the association between non alcoholic fatty liver and metabolic syndrome by multiple logistic regression analysis and we analyzed the association between non alcoholic fatty liver and the serum carotenoids by a general linear model(ANCOVA).


RESULTS
After adjustment for the effect of potential covariates, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was associated with fat accumulation in the liver (p trend <0.001). If the odds ratio of normal group is 1.00, then that of the mild group is 2.80 (95% C.I=1.17-6.71) and that of the severe group is 7.29 (95% C.I=2.76-19.30). The prevalence of metabolic alterations fitting the criteria of metabolic syndrome, according to the class of fat accumulation in the liver, was significantly increased, except for criteria of high blood pressure, a large waist circumference and low HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol level (p trend <0.001). The level of serum beta-carotene was decreased according to the class of fat accumulation in the liver (p trend=0.036), but the levels of serum alpha-carotene, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin and lutein were not decreased.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that non alcoholic fatty liver was associated with metabolic syndrome and with the serum beta-carotene level.
Park
Sun Kyun
SK
Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Korea.
Lee
Hyun Jung
HJ
Lee
Duk Hee
DH
Lee
Sung Kook
SK
Chun
Byung Yeol
BY
Kim
Sung Ae
SA
Lee
Hye Sung
HS
Son
Hyo Kyung
HK
Kim
Sung Hi
SH
D000328:Adult; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis
D002338:Carotenoids