NAFLD as a risk factor for the development of diabetes and the metabolic syndrome : an eleven-year follow-up study

Leon Adams, O.R. Waters, Matthew Knuiman, R.R. Elliott, John Olynyk

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363 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) uncommonly results in cirrhosis and liver-related death; however, its impact on the development of metabolic complications remains unclear. We sought to determine whether NAFLD with elevated aminotransaminase (ALT) levels was a risk factor for incident diabetes or the metabolic syndrome (MS) over an 11-year period.METHODS:Adult residents of Busselton, Western Australia underwent assessment in 1994–1995 as part of the Busselton Health Survey. NAFLD was diagnosed on the basis of a raised ALT (>40 IU/l) after the exclusion of alcohol, viral, metabolic, and autoimmune liver disease. NAFLD and non-NAFLD subjects were reassessed in 2005 for liver complications, diabetes, and the MS.RESULTS:A total of 358 subjects, 68% male (109 NAFLD, 249 non-NAFLD), mean age (s.d.) 59.9 (11.6) years, attended follow-up 11.1 years after the initial assessment. After excluding subjects with diabetes at baseline, those with NAFLD were more likely to have developed diabetes on follow-up (20/106, 18.9% vs. 15/246, 6.1%; P
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)861-867
JournalThe American Journal of Gastroenterology
Volume104
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009

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