The Relationship between Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Retinopathy in NHANES III.
BACKGROUND
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an emerging multisystem disease, has the similar pathogenesis with diabetes and is prevalent in diabetes. This study investigated whether NAFLD is associated with retinopathy in individuals with diabetes and without diabetes.


METHODS
The association between NAFLD and retinopathy was investigated in 5963 participants aged 40 years and older who participated in the NHANES III, a nationally representative, population-based and cross-sectional study. NAFLD was detected via ultrasonography, and fundus photographs were obtained to grade retinopathy patterns. We performed multivariate logistic regression analysis to investigate the relationship between the presence of retinopathy and NAFLD and diabetes.


RESULTS
After adjusting for multiple covariates, NAFLD population had no evidence of retinopathy increase in population without diabetes (odds ratio [OR]: 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.48 to 1.26). In addition, NAFLD in individuals with diabetes was not significantly associated with retinopathy (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.47 to 1.26), independent of age, gender, ethnicity, waist circumference, serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, serum triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and glycated hemoglobin.


CONCLUSIONS
In the US general population, NAFLD is not a precipitating factor of retinopathy in population with or without diabetes.
Department of Ophthalmology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Tzu-Yu
TY
Lin
Department of Ophthalmology, Tri-Service General Hospital, and School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Ying-Jen
YJ
Chen
Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, and School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.|Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, and School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Wei-Liang
WL
Chen
Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, and School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Tao-Chun
TC
Peng
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications*; D009749:Nutrition Surveys