title: Raised liver enzymes in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes are associated with weight and lipids, but not glycaemic control.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and the metabolic syndrome, and can progress to chronic liver disease. We examined the incidence of elevated (>35 iu/l) alanine transaminase (ALT), as a surrogate marker for NAFLD, in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of ALT with metabolic parameters, in 606 consecutive patients presenting to district wide education sessions for newly diagnosed T2DM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ALT was elevated in 155 patients (25.6% (95% CI 22.1, 29.2)), who tended to be older (mean difference 7.3 years (5.2, 9.5), P < 0.001), heavier (body mass index (BMI) mean difference 2.0 kg/m(2) (1.0, 3.0), P < 0.001), and more likely to be male (M:F raised ALT 104:51, normal ALT 219:232, P < 0.001), with higher triglycerides (median difference 0.2 mmol/l, P = 0.001) and lower HDL cholesterol (mean difference 0.09 mmol/l (0.02, 0.15), P = 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in HBA1C or total cholesterol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a well-defined population of newly diagnosed people with T2DM, there is a high incidence of abnormal ALT levels, which is associated with features of the metabolic syndrome (obesity and lipid abnormalities), but not glycemic control.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, USA ; Department of Gastroenterology, Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Shreyas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saligram
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Masding