Predictors of Impaired Glucose Regulation in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract EN

Many patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have impaired glucose regulation or type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

We investigated characteristics of NAFLD patients associated with hyperglycemia.

Methods.

During a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), serum glucose and insulin were measured in 152 NAFLD patients.

Results.

48.7% of NAFLD patients had hyperglycemia.

Age (odds ratio (OR)=1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–1.13), body mass index (BMI) (OR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.01–1.25), and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (OR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.92–0.98) proved to be independent predictors of hyperglycemia.

After OGTT, 30 min insulin was lower in hyperglycemic patients (74.2±49.7 versus 94.5±53.9 μIU/ml, P=0.02), while 90 min insulin (170.1±84.6 versus 122.9±97.7 μU/ml, P=0.01) and 120 min insulin (164.0±101.2 versus 85.3±61.9 μIU/ml, P<0.01) were higher.

Conclusions.

NAFLD patients with higher BMI, lower HDL-C, or older age were more likely to have impaired glucose metabolism.

An OGTT could be of value for early diagnosis of DM among this population.