title: Diastolic dysfunction and cardiovascular risk in old subjects: possible association with NAFLD?
abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is frequently associated with metabolic syndrome (MS) and may represent a cardiovascular (CV) risk factor. Functional cardiac abnormalities have been reported in patients with NAFLD. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether these findings are present also in elderly people. We tested 171 subjects aging more than 65 years, enrolled in a prospective study on CV risk reduction, for laboratory examination, abdominal ultrasound for evaluation of hepatic steatosis and standard echocardiography for determining morphological and functional cardiac parameters. Higher BMI, serum levels of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, insulin and visceral adipose tissue and lower serum levels of HDL-cholesterol were significantly associated with NAFLD. Furthermore, subjects with NAFLD had higher prevalence of diabetes, pathological waist-circumference, insulin-resistance and positive ATP-III criteria. While NAFLD had only a borderline significant association with higher end-diastolic thicknesses of left-ventricle posterior wall (edPW) and right-ventricle wall, higher values of edPW and end-diastolic thickness of interventricular septum were significantly correlated with glucose levels above 100mg/dl, hypertension, MS and insulin-resistance. Moreover, subjects with MS and/or pathological waist-circumference had a lower early-diastolic mitral annular motion, whereas those with insulin-resistance had lower E/A ratio and early-diastolic filling peak velocity. Regression analyses identify hypertension and pathological waist-circumference as factors independently associated to pathological edPW, and hypertriglyceridemia to pathological left-ventricle mass. In conclusion, an ultrasonographic diagnosis of NAFLD in old subjects may be an "alert" on the coexistence of multiple CV risk factors and on the presence of possible alterations of cardiac morphology and diastolic function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Albertoni 15, I-40138 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: giampaolo.bianchi@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Giordano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gianotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Albertoni 15, I-40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cenni
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Albertoni 15, I-40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Albertoni 15, I-40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Albertoni 15, I-40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zappoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Albertoni 15, I-40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muscari
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Albertoni 15, I-40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zoli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003971:Diastole; D004452:Echocardiography; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Diastolic dysfunction; Echocardiography; Metabolic syndrome; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease