title: The relationship between arterial stiffness and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently the most common form of chronic liver disease and some studies have documented its link with cardiovascular risk factors. This study aimed to investigate the association between arterial stiffness and NAFLD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 1,442 health check-up subjects (955 men, 487 women), we examined the association between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as a measurement of arterial stiffness and the presence of NAFLD based on abdominal sonographic findings. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the independent association between baPWV and the presence of NAFLD in gender-specific manners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In multivariate regression analysis, NAFLD was found to be independently associated with baPWV in both men and women. Moreover, in multivariate logistic regression analysis, a graded independent relation was found between higher levels of baPWV and the prevalence risk of NAFLD. Odds ratios (95% CI) for the highest vs. the lowest quartile of baPWV were 1.85 (range, 1.13-2.62) in men and 3.32 (1.45-7.62) in women after adjusting for age, smoking status, regular exercise, body mass index, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arterial stiffness was independently associated with the prevalence risk for NAFLD regardless of classical CVD risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 211 Eonju-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-720, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Byung-Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Youn-Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Dong-Hyuk
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Jung-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hye-Ree
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D059289:Vascular Stiffness