Association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and autonomic dysfunction in a Chinese population.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Autonomic dysfunction (AD) accompanying with chronic liver disorders led to an increased risk of mortality. However, researches that investigated the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and AD were insufficient.

AIMS:

To study the association of NAFLD with AD in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.

DESIGN:

Four thousand nine hundred seventy-four adults aged 40 years or older were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. NAFLD was diagnosed by hepatic B-mode ultrasonography. Autonomic function was assessed using a simple EZSCAN test by measuring sudomotor function, with an AD index > 50% defined as a manifestation of AD.

METHODS:

Pearson correlation, multiple stepwise linear regression, univariate and multivariate logistic regression was employed to examine the relationship between NAFLD and AD, controlling for potential confounders.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of AD was significantly higher in participants with NAFLD than those without (40.75 vs. 26.86%, P < 0.0001). Age, body mass index, status of diabetes, sex, diastolic blood pressure and prevalent NAFLD, were positively correlated with AD index in multiple stepwise linear regression analysis (all P < 0.05), whereas total cholesterol was negatively related to it (P = 0.0043). Compared with the participants without NAFLD, those with NAFLD had an increased odds of the prevalent AD (odds ratio 1.38; 95% confidence interval 1.15-1.64; P = 0.0004) after controlling for multiple confounders.

CONCLUSIONS:

The presence of NAFLD was significantly associated with AD, as indicated by abnormal sudomotor function. The association was independent from various conventional risk factors.

• Authors: W Sun, D Zhang, J Sun, B Xu, K Sun, T Wang, C Ren, J Li, Y Chen, M Xu, Y Bi, Q Xu, W Wang, Y Gu, G Ning
• Journal: QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians (QJM) Vol. 108 Issue 8 Pg. 617-24 (Aug 2015) ISSN: 1460-2393 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25614616 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Physicians. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: [email protected].

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Autonomic Nervous System Diseases (diagnosis, epidemiology, etiology)
• China (epidemiology)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Female
• Galvanic Skin Response
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (complications, diagnostic imaging, epidemiology)
• Prevalence
• Risk Factors
• Ultrasonography