title: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is independently associated with left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive Type 2 diabetic individuals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) are highly prevalent in Type 2 diabetes and both conditions are associated with an increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether there is an association between NAFLD and echocardiographically detected LVH in Type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 116 consecutive patients with hypertension and Type 2 diabetes after excluding those with pre-existing history of cardiovascular disease, advanced kidney disease, excessive alcohol consumption and other known causes of chronic liver disease (e.g., virus, medications, autoimmunity, iron overload). NAFLD was diagnosed by means of ultrasonography, whereas LVH was diagnosed by means of conventional trans-thoracic echocardiography in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of LVH was markedly higher among diabetic patients with NAFLD than among those without this disease (82% vs 18%; p=0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that NAFLD was associated with LVH independently of age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, duration of diabetes, and parameters of kidney function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that hypertensive Type 2 diabetic patients with NAFLD have a remarkably higher frequency of LVH than do hypertensive diabetic patients without steatosis, and that NAFLD is associated with LVH independently of classical cardiovascular risk factors and other potential confounders.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Verona Medical School, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zoppini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Targher
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Golia
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonora
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D058065:Diabetic Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors