Assessment of Cardiovascular Parameters in Obese Children and Adolescents with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Beray Selver Eklioğlu1, Mehmet Emre Atabek1, Nesibe Akyürek2, Hayrullah Alp31Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty Of Medicine, Division Of Pediatric Endocrinology And Diabetes, Konya, Turkey2Konya Training And Research Hospital, Clinic Of Pediatric Endocrinology And Diabetes, Konya, Turkey
3Malatya State Hospital, Clinic Of Pediatric Cardiology, Malatya, Turkey
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the periaortic fat thickness (PAFT) using conventional echocardiography in obese children and adolescents with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Methods: Two hundred and ninety-seven obese children and adolescents were included in the study. Anthropometric measurements were made in all subjects, and fasting venous blood samples were taken for determination of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels. Ultrasonography of the liver was used for assessment of NAFLD and the subjects were grouped as NAFLD and non-NAFLD. Echocardiography was performed in all subjects.
Results: PAFT was higher in patients with NAFLD compared with the non-NAFLD group. In patients with NAFLD, PAFT was positively correlated with waist circumference and with total cholesterol levels. In multiple regression analysis, waist circumference (ß=0.28, p=<0.001) was found to be the best predictor of PAFT.
Conclusion: Conventional echocardiography may be used to determine increased PAFT at an early stage in obese children and adolescents with NAFLD for careful monitoring of cardiovascular risk.
Manuscript Language: English
