title: High prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver in patients with idiopathic venous thromboembolism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to assess the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with idiopathic venous thromboembolism (VTE).
  
  
  METHODS
  in a case-control study, after excluding subjects with well-consolidated risk factors for VTE, idiopathic VTE was documented in 138 consecutive patients who were referred to our department. Two hundred and seventy-six healthy sex/age/body-mass-index-matched subjects, without any clinical/instrumental evidence of VTE, served as controls. All underwent a clinical/laboratory/ultrasound assessment for the presence of metabolic syndrome and NAFLD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NAFLD was detected in 112/138 cases (81%) and in 84/276 controls (30%) [risk ratio: 2.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2-3.2, P < 0.0001]. Metabolic syndrome and smoking habit were more prevalent in patients with idiopathic VTE. The high prevalence of NAFLD in VTE was also confirmed after adjustment for inherited thrombophilia. NAFLD was clearly predicted by VTE (odds ratio: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2-2.7, P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NAFLD was independently associated with idiopathic VTE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University Medical School of Naples, Via S. Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo Nicola Dario
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Di Minno
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tufano
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rusolillo
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Minno
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tarantino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology