title: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its associated risk factors in Brazilian postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried involving 188 women (age ≥ 45 years and amenorrhea ≥ 12 months) attending the outpatient unit in south-eastern Brazil. Exclusion criteria were liver disease (hepatitis B and C, cholestatic disease, liver insufficiency), use of drugs that affect liver metabolism; alcoholics; AIDS or cancer history; and morbid obesity. NAFLD was diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound. Clinical, anthropometric (body mass index, waist circumference) and biochemical variables were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 188 women, 73 (38.8%) had NAFLD. Blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose were significantly higher in NAFLD patients when compared with women without NAFLD (control group) (p < 0.05). HOMA-IR values indicated insulin resistance only in the NAFLD group (6.1 ± 4.6 vs. 2.4 ± 1.4 in control group, p < 0.05). Metabolic syndrome was detected in 93.1% of the women affected by NAFLD, and 46.1% of the control group (p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, adjusted for age and weight, the variables considered at risk for the development of NAFLD, were: high waist circumference (odds ratio (OR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.13), insulin resistance (OR 3.81, 95% CI 2.01-7.13), and presence of metabolic syndrome (OR 8.68, 95% CI 3.3-24.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NAFLD showed a high prevalence among postmenopausal women. The presence of metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity and IR were indicators of risk for the development of NAFLD.
authors: * Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Botucatu Medical School-Sao Paulo State University , Botucatu, Sao Paulo.
authors: A de Souza
authors: Ade S
authors: Bruno
authors: M H
authors: MH
authors: Rodrigues
authors: M C B
authors: MC
authors: Alvares
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Nahas-Neto
authors: E A Petri
authors: EA
authors: Nahas
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000378:metabolism*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: INSULIN RESISTANCE; MENOPAUSE; METABOLIC SYNDROME; NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE