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. 2023 Jun;46(6):615-621.
doi: 10.1002/clc.24015. Epub 2023 Apr 4.

The association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and corrected QT interval prolongation among generally healthy Iranian population: Fasa Cohort Study (FACS)

Alireza Naderi  1 , Mojtaba Farjam  2 , Maryam Mojarrad Sani  3 , Ashkan Abdollahi  4 , Abdulhakim Alkamel  2 , Omid Keshavarzian  4 , Reza Tabrizi  2   5
Affiliations

The association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and corrected QT interval prolongation among generally healthy Iranian population: Fasa Cohort Study (FACS)

Alireza Naderi et al. Clin Cardiol. 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Background: There are limited studies about the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation worldwide.

Hypothesis: Therefore, we designed the current study to determine this association in a large cohort of a generally healthy population.

Methods: We analyzed the data of 4603 individuals aged 35-70 who participated in the Fasa Cohort Study (FACS). Based on 12-lead electrocardiograms, QT intervals were calculated and corrected by Bazzet's formula. A QTc interval of more than 430 ms in men and 450 ms in women was considered prolonged. The Fatty Liver Index was used to identify the participants with NAFLD.

Results: Of all participants, 1550 (33.6%) met the NAFLD criteria. In subjects of both genders with NAFLD, the mean values of the QTc interval were considerably higher than in those without NAFLD (p < .001). After adjusting for a wide range of confounders, including age, gender, smoking status, physical activity, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, diabetes, and hypertension status, in linear regression analysis, the standardized β coefficient of QTc interval among participants with NAFLD was 2.56 ms (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.49-4.64). After controlling the same confounders, the odds ratio of NAFLD for a prolonged QTc interval in men was 1.47 (95% CI: 1.18-1.84; p < .001) and in women was 1.39 (95% CI: 1.15-1.68; p < .001) using logistic regression analysis.

Conclusions: NAFLD was a risk factor for QTc interval prolongation. Awareness about the risk of NAFLD in increasing the potential cardiac arrhythmias should be raised to lower cardiac mortality.

Keywords: QTc interval prolongation; cardiovascular mortality; general healthy Iranian population; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study enrollment flowchart.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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