title: Nonalcoholic fatty liver is not associated with carotid intima-media thickness in type 2 diabetic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is commonly associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Several studies suggest that NAFLD is independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in nondiabetic subjects. In type 2 diabetic subjects, the link between fatty liver and atherosclerosis is less clear. In this study, we set out to determine, whether fatty liver content, evaluated using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a very precise imaging technique, was associated with atherosclerosis in people with type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 101 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included in this study. Liver fat (1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and carotid intima media thickness (IMT) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-one (60.3%) patients had steatosis (hepatic triglyceride content greater than 5.5%). Liver fat content was correlated with fasting serum triglycerides (r = 0.22; P = 0.02) and alanine aminotransferase (r = 0.42; P = 0.0001). Sixty-eight percent of subjects with severe steatosis (hepatic triglyceride content greater than 15%) had aspartate aminotransferase in the normal range. Age was strongly correlated with IMT (r = 0.37; P = 0.0002). Steatosis did not correlate with IMT (r = -0.03; P = 0.75). There was no significant difference between the two groups (with and without hepatic steatosis) for IMT values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  this study suggests that in people with type 2 diabetes, fatty liver is not associated with cardiovascular disease. In a diabetic population, it seems that fatty liver is not a determinant factor associated with carotid IMT.
authors: Centre de Recherche, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 866, Services de Diabétologie et Endocrinologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire du Bocage, 21079 Dijon cedex, France. jean-michel.petit@chu-dijon.fr
authors: Jean Michel
authors: JM
authors: Petit
authors: Boris
authors: B
authors: Guiu
authors: Beatrice
authors: B
authors: Terriat
authors: Romaric
authors: R
authors: Loffroy
authors: Isabelle
authors: I
authors: Robin
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Petit
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Bouillet
authors: Marie-Claude
authors: MC
authors: Brindisi
authors: Laurence
authors: L
authors: Duvillard
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Hillon
authors: Jean-Pierre
authors: JP
authors: Cercueil
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Verges
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011522:Protons; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011522:Protons; D014280:Triglycerides; D000410:Alanine Transaminase