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. 2006 Sep 28;12(36):5826-33.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i36.5826.

Fatty liver, carotid disease and gallstones: a study of age-related associations

Amedeo Lonardo  1 , Silvia Lombardini, Federica Scaglioni, Stefano Ballestri, Anna-Maria Verrone, Marco Bertolotti, Lucia Carulli, Dorval Ganazzi, Nicola Carulli, Paola Loria
Affiliations

Fatty liver, carotid disease and gallstones: a study of age-related associations

Amedeo Lonardo et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate carotid intima-media thickening (IMT) and plaques, gallstone disease (GD) and fatty liver (FL) as a function of age.

Methods: In 449 subjects, FL and carotid disease were assessed ultrasonographically. In a subgroup of 65/449 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), carotid disease, GD and associated factors were determined.

Results: FL of unspecified etiology was more common in younger and GD in older individuals. FL subjects had an increased prevalence of IMT and a decreased prevalence of plaques and manifested carotid disease earlier. Plaques were more common in subjects with GD. Age was an independent predictor of carotid disease outcome and FL was a protective factor for plaques. In NAFLD, there was an inverse correlation between body weight and age and the latter independently predicted carotid findings.

Conclusion: Cardiovascular risk in patients with FL and NAFLD needs to be assessed as a function of age and body weight.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of ultrasonographically diagnosed fatty liver of unspecified etiology in the various age-groups of adulthood. The number of patients enrolled in each age-group is as follows: < 30: 8 cases; 30-39: 19 cases; 40-49: 44 cases; 50-59: 64 cases; 60-69: 98 cases; 70-79: 119 cases; and >80: 97 cases.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of carotid ultrasound findings in the various age-groups of adulthood. The number of patients enrolled in each age-group is the same as reported in Figure 1.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Inverse correlation between body weight and age in NAFLD patients.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Distribution of carotid ultrasound findings in the various age-groups of adulthood with NAFLD. The number of patients enrolled in each age-group is as follows: < 30: 2 cases; 30-39: 4 cases; 40-49: 16 cases; 50-59: 25 cases; 60-69: 14 cases; and 70-79: 4 cases.
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