Association between Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Carotid Artery Disease in type 2 diabetic patients

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major public health concern in developing countries, and it emerges as the most common chronic liver disease around the world with a prevalence of 20–30% in the general population. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the liver disease characterized by excessive accumulation of fat, which is caused by the factors excepting of alcohol and other specific-liver-damage factors. NAFLD is also recognized as the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome which includes obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Compared with nondiabetic subjects, people with type 2diabetes appear to have an increased risk of developing NAFLD and certainly have a higher risk of developing fibrosis and cirrhosis. It has been estimated that ∼70–75% of type 2 diabetic patients may have some form of NAFLD. Carotid atherosclerosis, a common carotid artery disease, is recognized as one of the major cardiovascular diseases. Recent data suggest that the presence of NAFLD in type 2 diabetes may also be linked to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk independently of components of the metabolic syndrome. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is one of the subclinical markers of atherosclerosis, and is closely related to coronary heart disease. IMT can be measured by noninvasive carotid artery ultrasound; it can clear the presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaque and can be used to evaluate the risk of cardiovascular disease.