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Cardiovascular Diabetology
Published in: Cardiovascular Diabetology 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Original investigation

Reactive hyperemia index (RHI) and cognitive performance indexes are associated with histologic markers of liver disease in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a case control study

Authors: Antonino Tuttolomondo, Salvatore Petta, Alessandra Casuccio, Carlo Maida, Vittoriano Della Corte, Mario Daidone, Domenico Di Raimondo, Rosaria Pecoraro, Roberto Fonte, Anna Cirrincione, Rita Zafonte, Daniela Cabibi, Calogero Cammà, Vito Di Marco, Anna Licata, Franco Magliozzo, Giulio Marchesini, Giovanni Merlino, Antonio Craxì, Antonio Pinto

Published in: Cardiovascular Diabetology | Issue 1/2018

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Abstract

Background

No study evaluated vascular health markers in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through a combined analysis of reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) and arterial stiffness indexes.

Aim of the study

We aimed to assess whether NAFLD and its histological severity are associated with impairment of arterial stiffness and RH-PAT indexes in a mixed cohort of patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD.

Materials and methods

The Kleiner classification was used to grade NAFLD grade. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (Aix) were used as markers of arterial stiffness, whereas endothelial function was assessed using reactive hyperemia index (RHI). The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was administered to test cognitive performance.

Results

80 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 83 controls without fatty liver disease. NAFLD subjects showed significantly lower mean RHI, higher mean arterial stiffness indexes and lower mean MMSE score. Multivariable analysis after correction for BMI, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, sex, diabetes, age and cardiovascular disease showed that BMI, diastolic blood pressure and RHI are significantly associated to NAFLD. Simple linear regression analysis showed among non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) subjects a significant negative relationship between ballooning grade and MMSE and a significant positive association between Kleiner steatosis grade and augmentation index.

Conclusions

Future research will be addressed to evaluate the relationship between inflammatory markers and arterial stiffness and endothelial function indexes in NAFLD subjects. These study will evaluate association between cardiovascular event incidence and arterial stiffness, endothelial and cognitive markers, and they will address the beneficial effects of cardiovascular drugs such as statins and ACE inhibitors on these surrogate markers in NAFLD subjects.
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Metadata
Title
Reactive hyperemia index (RHI) and cognitive performance indexes are associated with histologic markers of liver disease in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a case control study
Authors
Antonino Tuttolomondo
Salvatore Petta
Alessandra Casuccio
Carlo Maida
Vittoriano Della Corte
Mario Daidone
Domenico Di Raimondo
Rosaria Pecoraro
Roberto Fonte
Anna Cirrincione
Rita Zafonte
Daniela Cabibi
Calogero Cammà
Vito Di Marco
Anna Licata
Franco Magliozzo
Giulio Marchesini
Giovanni Merlino
Antonio Craxì
Antonio Pinto
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Cardiovascular Diabetology / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1475-2840
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12933-018-0670-7

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