Aim: This study was designed to evaluate carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and serum osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in comparison to healthy controls and to investigate factors predicting the CIMT increase.
Materials and methods: A total of 60 outpatients [median (min-max) age 44.5 (24.0-65.0) years, 63.3% were females] diagnosed with NAFLD via ultrasonography performed during their admission to our hospital for any reason and 30 control subjects [median (min-max) age 39.5 (24.0-57.0) years, 73.3% were females] with normal liver echogenicity in ultrasonography were included in this study. Data on demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, biochemical and hematological tests, CIMT measurement, serum levels for OPG, and predictive factors for the CIMT increase were collected.
Results: Median (min-max) CIMT [0.60 (0.40-1.10) vs. 0.50 (0.30-0.60), P<0.001) and OPG (pg/mL) [65.0 (18.1-272.8) vs. 32.0 (10.1-82.3), P<0.001] levels were significantly higher in NAFLD patients compared to controls, while there was a significant positive correlation between CIMT and serum OPG (r=0.42, P<0.001). Mean CIMT value was determined to increase significantly by 0.001 cm (P=0.001) for each 1 pg/mL of increase in OPG levels, by 0.103 cm (P<0.001) in case of concomitant NAFLD (P<0.001), and by 0.006 cm (P<0.001) for each 1 pg/mL of increase in urea levels.
Conclusion: Our findings indicate higher levels of serum OPG and CIMT in patients with NAFLD compared to controls along with a positive correlation between serum OPG and CIMT levels. High levels of serum OPG, presence of NAFLD, and high levels of serum urea seem to be the independent risk factors predictive for the CIMT increase.