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. 2016:2016:2931985.
doi: 10.1155/2016/2931985. Epub 2016 Mar 30.

The Burden of NAFLD and Its Characteristics in a Nationwide Population with Type 2 Diabetes

Gabriele Forlani  1 , Carlo Giorda  2 , Roberta Manti  2 , Natalia Mazzella  1 , Salvatore De Cosmo  3 , Maria Chiara Rossi  4 , Antonio Nicolucci  4 , Paolo Di Bartolo  5 , Antonio Ceriello  6 , Pietro Guida  7 ; AMD-Annals Study Group  7
Affiliations

The Burden of NAFLD and Its Characteristics in a Nationwide Population with Type 2 Diabetes

Gabriele Forlani et al. J Diabetes Res. 2016.

Abstract

Objective: We studied the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its clinical correlates in a population of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: Clinical data of 94,577 T2DM patients were retrieved from 160 diabetes clinics in Italy in a standardized format and centrally analyzed anonymously. After exclusion of 5967 cases (high or uncertain alcohol intake), in 38,880 the Fatty Liver Index (FLI) was used as a proxy for the diagnosis of NAFLD. Factors associated with FLI assessed NAFLD (FLI-NAFLD) were evaluated through multivariate analysis.

Results: FLI-NAFLD was present in 59.6% of patients. Compared to non-NAFLD, FLI-NAFLD was associated with impairment in renal function, higher albumin excretion, HbA1c and blood pressure, lower HDL cholesterol, and poorer quality of care. ALT was within normal limits in 73.6% of FLI-NAFLD patients (45.6% if the updated reference values were used). The prevalence of FLI-NAFLD did not differ if the whole sample (94,577 cases) was examined, irrespective of alcohol intake.

Conclusions: FLI-NAFLD was present in the majority of T2DM patients of our sample and metabolic derangement, not alcohol consumption, was mainly associated with the disease. FLI-NAFLD patients have a worse metabolic profile. ALT levels are not predictive of NAFLD.

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Figures

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Figure 1
Flow chart of sample selection.
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