title: Association of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiometabolic risk factors with early atherosclerosis in an adult population in Southern Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases was investigated in an adult population of the city of Cittanova, Southern Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted among 992 randomly selected adults aged 18-75 years, between April 2009 and January 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence rates of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), overweight, obesity, and metabolic syndrome (MS) were 24.8%, 41.5%, 27.1%, and 34.4%, respectively. For the components of MS, prevalence of central obesity was 47.4%, impaired fasting glucose (IFG) 34.7%; hypertension 53.7%, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol 34.2%, and hypertriglyceridemia 27.2%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertension, central obesity, IFG, low HDL cholesterol, hypertriglyceridemia, MS, and increased carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) were significantly associated with NAFLD after adjustment for age and sex. With additional adjustment for body mass index (BMI), IMT and MS (depending on the prevalence ratio that was investigated), the positive association between the NAFLD and increased IMT lost statistical significance, while that with body mass index (BMI) and MS remained significant.
authors.affiliation: Associazione Calabrese di Epatologia/ACE, Pellaro, Reggio Calabria, Italy - UO Medicina, Policlinico Madonna della Consolazione, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmelo Antonio
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Caserta
authors.affiliation: Associazione Calabrese di Epatologia/ACE, Pellaro, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mele
authors.affiliation: Associazione Calabrese di Epatologia/ACE, Pellaro, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Surace
authors.affiliation: Centro Nazionale di Epidemiologia, Sorveglianza e Promozione della Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrigno
authors.affiliation: Associazione Calabrese di Epatologia/ACE, Pellaro, Reggio Calabria, Italy - UO Medicina, Policlinico Madonna della Consolazione, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amante
authors.affiliation: Associazione Calabrese di Epatologia/ACE, Pellaro, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Messineo
authors.affiliation: Associazione Calabrese di Epatologia/ACE, Pellaro, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vacalebre
authors.affiliation: Associazione Calabrese di Epatologia/ACE, Pellaro, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors.forename: Fulvia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amato
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy - Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baldassarre
authors.affiliation: Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amato
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marcucci
authors.affiliation: Unità di Medicina, Gastroenterologia e Epatologia, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Ospedale San Paolo, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult