Prevalence of metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes type 2 in cryptogenic cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS), obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a group of Mexican Mestizo patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis (CC) and to compare this group with patients with cirrhosis secondary to other causes (disease controls).


METHODS
Patients with CC, diagnosed between January, 1990 and April, 2005, were included in a retrospective study. Patients with cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis C, alcohol abuse or autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) served as disease controls.


RESULTS
A total of 134 patients with CC were analyzed. Disease controls consisted of 81 patients with chronic hepatitis C, 33 with alcohol abuse and 20 with AIH. The median age of patients with CC was 57 years (range, 16-87); 83 (61.9%) patients were female; 53 (39.6%) were Child A, 65 (48.5%) Child B, and 16 (11.9%) were Child C cirrhosis. The prevalence of MS (29.1% vs 6%; P<0.001), obesity (16.4% vs 8.2%; P=0.04) and T2DM (40% vs 22.4%; P=0.013) was higher in CC patients than in disease controls. There were no differences in sex, age or liver function tests between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of MS, obesity and T2DM were higher in patients with CC than in patients with cirrhosis secondary to others causes. Our findings support the hypothesis that non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) plays an under-recognized role in CC.
Tellez-Avila
Felix I
FI
Department of Gastroenterology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Vasco de Quiroga 15. Col. Seccion XVI. Del. Tlalpan, Mexico City CP 14000, Mexico. felixtelleza@gmail.com
Sanchez-Avila
Francisco
F
García-Saenz-de-Sicilia
Mauricio
M
Chavez-Tapia
Norberto C
NC
Franco-Guzman
Ada M
AM
Lopez-Arce
Gustavo
G
Cerda-Contreras
Eduardo
E
Uribe
Misael
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index