title: Cardiovascular risk factors, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and carotid artery intima-media thickness in an adolescent population in southern Italy.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine, in an adolescent population, the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the association of NAFLD and cardiovascular risk factors with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. The authors conducted a population-based study among 642 randomly selected adolescents aged 11-13 years in Reggio Calabria, southern Italy, between November 2007 and October 2008. Prevalences of overweight and obesity were 30.5% and 13.5%, respectively. The overall prevalence of NAFLD was 12.5%, increasing to 23.0% in overweight/obese adolescents. In univariate analysis, increased IMT was positively associated with the presence of NAFLD, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (all P's < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.006), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (P = 0.006), alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.007), and C-reactive protein (P = 0.008) and was inversely associated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, NAFLD (P = 0.002), BMI (P = 0.004), waist circumference (P = 0.003), and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.005) retained significant associations. The authors conclude that NAFLD, BMI, waist circumference, and systolic blood pressure are independent markers of increased IMT in a random sample of adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Madonna della Consolazione Hospital, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmelo Antonio
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Caserta
authors.forename: Gaspare Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Pendino
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amante
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vacalebre
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Fiorillo
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Surace
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Messineo
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Surace
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alicante
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cotichini
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuin
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rosmini
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mele
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marcucci
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055105:Waist Circumference; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase