title: Independent association of HbA1c and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in an elderly Chinese population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate the association between serum glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in an elderly Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed among the 949 retired elderly employees of Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Company Ltd., Ningbo, China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 257 (27.08%) subjects fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of NAFLD, and NAFLD patients had significantly higher serum HbA1c levels than controls (P <0.001). The prevalence of NAFLD was significantly higher in subjects with increased serum HbA1c level (HbA1c ≥6.5%) than in those with normal range of serum HbA1c level (51.71% vs. 25.20%; P <0.001), and the prevalence increased along with progressively higher serum HbA1c levels (P for trend <0.001). Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that serum HbA1c level was significantly associated with the risk for NAFLD (odds ratio: 1.547, 95% confidence interval: 1.054 - 2.270; P =0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that serum HbA1c level is associated with NAFLD, and increased serum HbA1c level is an independent risk factor for NAFLD in elderly Chinese.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chengfu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Chaohui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Youming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin