The role of non- alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)in the occurrence of CVDs through measuring carotid intima-media thickness

A lot of studies is done about various components of the metabolic syndrome in association with non-alcoholic fatty liver due to increasing carotid intima media thickness as a risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. But few studies have been done on the role of non-alcoholic fatty liver as an independent risk factor for carotid intima media thickening. The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of non-alcoholic fatty liver on the extent of carotid intima media thickness, as a risk factor for atherosclerosis.
In the current study, mean thickness of carotid intima media was measured in 105 patients divided into three equal groups. Two groups included patients with mild to severe fatty liver with or without cardiovascular risk factors, respectively. The third group was the control one. The obtained data was fed into SPSS software (V:22) using ANOVA and Tukey test at α=0.05.
It was found that the thickness of the right carotid intima media in the control group was 0.5±0.09, but in the fatty liver groups ,with or without a risk factor, it was 0.26±0.08; respectively. But, in the left carotid intima media in the control groups having the same condition it was 0.8±0.18 and 0.82 ±0.26, respectively.
P value revealed that mean thickness of the right carotid intima media and the left one in the control groups was significantly less than that of fatty liver groups with or without risk factor.
Fatty liver disease leads to atherosclerotic arteries and thickening of the carotid artery as an indicator of atherosclerotic intima media, which is even visible when a mild degree of fatty liver is concerned.