title: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a frequent condition in type 2 diabetic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease represents an excessive fat accumulation in the liver of patients with no other liver disease and no history of alcohol abuse. It is associated with insulin resistance, being more prevalent in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Our aim was to assess the prevalence of fatty liver and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with type 2 diabetes and to evaluate the influence of obesity on its prevalence.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 348 type 2 diabetes patients (age: 18-65 years), without a history of liver disease or alcohol abuse. We assessed demographical data, medical history, physical examination, blood tests, and abdominal ultrasonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of liver steatosis in our group was 87.1 %, with no significant differences between men and women. Patients with steatosis had higher abdominal circumference, body mass index (BMI; p = 0.001), and serum triglyceride (p < 0.0001), HbA1c (p < 0.001), and alaninaminotranspherase levels (ALT, p = 0.001). The value of BMI, abdominal circumference, and serum triglyceride levels independently influenced the prevalence of liver steatosis; the influence of HbA1c level was not significant. In 23.9 % of the patients with steatosis, we found elevated liver enzymes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed an elevated prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (87.1 %) in type 2 diabetic patients. The factors influencing this prevalence are BMI, abdominal circumference,and serum triglyceride levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetes and Nutritional Diseases, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Nr. 2, Timisoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sima
authors.forename: Romulus
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Timar
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vlad
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Timar
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosu
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dan
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sirli
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.forename: Ioan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sporea
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult