Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a novel predictor of cardiovascular disease

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study participants (n = 1647)

Variables	Subjects withoutNAFLD(n = 1335)	Subjects withNAFLD(n = 312)	P
Asparate aminotransferase, U/L	17.4 ± 5.2	23.9 ± 11.2	< 0.001
Alanine aminotransferase, U/L	17.7 ± 9.6	38.8 ± 27.8	< 0.001
Gamma-glutamyltransferase, U/L	17.8 ± 18.2	34.0 ± 31.5	< 0.001
Men, n (%)	730 (54.7)	250 (80.1)	< 0.001
Age (yr)	47.8 ± 8.6	49.1 ± 8.7	0.017
The Brinkman index1	223.8 ± 359.3	358.6 ± 461.9	< 0.001
LDL-C, mmol/L	3.4 ± 0.8	3.7 ± 0.9	< 0.001
The metabolic syndrome, n (%)	87 (6.5)	119 (38.1)	< 0.001
BMI, kg/m2	21.9 ± 2.6	25.1 ± 2.5	< 0.001
Fasting plasma glucose, mmol/L	5.1 ± 0.6	5.7 ± 1.3	< 0.001
Systolic blood pressure, mmHg	114.6 ± 16.2	123.7 ± 15.9	< 0.001
Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg	71.6 ± 10.2	77.8 ± 9.7	< 0.001
HDL-C, mmol/L	1.3 ± 0.3	1.0 ± 0.2	< 0.001
Triglycerides, mmol/L	1.2 ± 0.7	1.9 ± 1.0	< 0.001
C reactive protein, mg/dL	0.1 ± 0.4	0.2 ± 0.3	0.19

NAFLD: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; LDL-C: low density lipoprotein cholesterol; HDL-C: high density lipoprotein cholesterol. We applied unpaired t-test and the chi-square test to unpaired values between two groups.

¹The Brinkman index is the number of cigarettes per day multiplied by years of smoking. A higher value indicates increased smoking-associated health hazard.

Table 2 Univariate analyses of factors associated with cardiovascular disease among 1221 subjects

	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P
NAFLD	5.37 (2.29-12.58)	< 0.001
Gamma -glutamyltransferase, U/L	1.02 (1.01-1.03)	< 0.001
Age, 10 yr	2.30 (1.46-3.61)	< 0.001
Men	1.70 (0.66-4.38)	0.27
The Brinkman index, 100 index1	1.08 (1.00-1.17)	0.049
LDL-C, mmol/L	1.48 (0.89-2.46)	0.13
The metabolic syndrome	3.14 (1.26-7.83)	0.014
The components of metabolic syndrome
BMI, kg/m2	1.14 (1.00-1.31)	0.044
Fasting plasma glucose, mmol/L	1.42 (1.01-2.01)	0.046
Systolic blood pressure, 10 mmHg	1.72 (1.4-2.12)	< 0.001
Diastolic blood pressure, 10 mmHg	2.31 (1.57-3.39)	< 0.001
HDL-C, mmol/L	0.16 (0.03-0.84)	0.031
Triglycerides, mmol/L	1.61 (1.11-2.32)	0.012

NAFLD: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; LDL-C: low dense lipoprotein cholesterol; HDL-C: high dense lipoprotein cholesterol.

¹The Brinkman index is the number of cigarettes per day multiplied by years of smoking. A higher value indicates increased smoking-associated health hazard.

Table 3 Multivariate analyses of factors associated with cardiovascular disease among 1221 subjects (748 men and 473 women)

Total (n = 1221)	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3
	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P
NAFLD	3.57 (1.47-8.67)	0.005	(-)	(-)	4.12 (1.58-10.75)	0.004
The metabolic syndrome	(-)	(-)	2.61 (1.03-6.60)	0.042	1.38 (0.49-3.86)	0.54
Age, 10 yr	1.61 (0.97-2.66)	0.064	2.08 (1.30-3.33)	0.002	2.12 (1.32-3.41)	0.002
The Brinkman index, 100 index1	1.06 (0.97-1.16)	0.18	1.05 (0.96-1.14)	0.28	1.03 (0.95-1.12)	0.48
Systolic blood pressure, 10 mmHg	1.60 (1.26-2.04)	< 0.001	(-)	(-)	(-)	(-)
LDL-C, mmol/L	1.19 (0.70-2.03)	0.52	1.35 (0.8-2.3)	0.26	1.24 (0.73-2.08)	0.43
Men (n = 748)	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3
	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P
NAFLD	2.78 (0.98-7.89)	0.054	(-)	(-)	3.56 (1.16-10.95)	0.027
The metabolic syndrome	(-)	(-)	2.06 (0.70-6.11)	0.19	1.13 (0.34-3.78)	0.84
Age, 10 yr	1.59 (0.90-2.80)	0.11	1.90 (1.11-3.23)	0.019	1.96 (1.15-3.34)	0.014
The Brinkman index, 100 index1	1.07 (0.97-1.18)	0.19	1.05 (0.95-1.15)	0.35	1.04 (0.95-1.13)	0.44
Systolic blood pressure, 10 mmHg	1.51 (1.10-2.07)	0.011	(-)	(-)	(-)	(-)
LDL-C, mmol/L	1.42 (0.74-2.71)	0.29	1.53 (0.81-2.90)	0.19	1.42 (0.76-2.65)	0.27
Women (n = 473)	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3
	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P
NAFLD	14.33 (1.98-103.57)	0.008	(-)	(-)	7.32 (1.22-43.84)	0.029
The metabolic syndrome	(-)	(-)	4.59 (0.78-27.10)	0.093	2.86 (0.42-19.39)	0.28
Age, 10 yr	1.87 (0.60-5.78)	0.28	3.28 (1.09-9.86)	0.035	3.04 (0.99-9.31)	0.051
The Brinkman index, 100 index1	0.46 (0.03-6.76)	0.57	0.55 (0.04-7.63)	0.65	0.41 (0.03-6.44)	0.53
Systolic blood pressure, 10 mmHg	1.88 (1.23-2.86)	0.003	(-)	(-)	(-)	(-)
LDL-C, mmol/L	0.62 (0.21-1.85)	0.39	0.87 (0.30-2.52)	0.80	0.77 (0.27-2.16)	0.62

NAFLD: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; LDL-C: low dense lipoprotein cholesterol.

¹The Brinkman index is the number of cigarettes per day multiplied by years of smoking. A higher value indicates increased smoking-associated health hazard.