title: Relationship between left ventricular mass and carotid intima media thickness in obese adolescents with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  No data are available examining the relationship between carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and left ventricular mass (LVM) in obese adolescents with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, we investigated LVM and carotid IMT in obese adolescents with NAFLD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty obese adolescents and 37 lean subjects were enrolled in the study. The obese subjects were divided into two subgroups based on the presence or absence of fatty liver with high transaminases (NAFLD group and non-NAFLD group). Fasting blood samples were assayed for serum transaminases, glucose and insulin levels. Insulin resistance was calculated by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  LVM measurements were higher in both NAFLD and non-NAFLD obese patients in comparison with the lean children. The NAFLD group had significantly higher LVM measurements than the non-NAFLD and lean groups. Carotid IMT was higher in both the NAFLD and non-NAFLD obese patients in comparison with the lean group. The NAFLD group had significantly higher carotid IMT measurements than the non-NAFLD and lean groups. LVM was positively correlated with HOMA-IR and serum alanine aminotransferase levels in the NAFLD obese group. Carotid IMT was positively correlated with HOMA-IR, serum alanine aminotransferase levels and LVM in the NAFLD obese group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated that obese adolescents with NAFLD have increased LVM and carotid IMT and low insulin sensitivity. Obese adolescents with NAFLD and increased carotid IMT may demonstrate a more adverse cardiovascular risk profile and higher LVM. Therefore, assessment of carotid IMT, in addition to echocardiography, may assist in risk stratification in obese adolescents with NAFLD with elevated cardiovascular risk factor levels.
authors: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey. ahmetsert2@hotmail.com
authors: Ahmet
authors: A
authors: Sert
authors: Ozgur
authors: O
authors: Pirgon
authors: Ebru
authors: E
authors: Aypar
authors: Hakan
authors: H
authors: Yilmaz
authors: Dursun
authors: D
authors: Odabas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002648:Child; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*