Cardiovascular risk factors in hypertensives complicated with non-alcoholic fatty liver but normal aminotransferase

Abstract

Objective To explore cardiovascular risk factors in patients of hypertension (HTN) complicated with non-alcoholic fatty liver but normal aminotransferase. Methods Forty-four cases (control group) of uncomplicated hypertension and 56 cases (study group) of hypertension complicated with nonalcoholic fatty liver but normal aminotransferase were screened from those who visited physical examination center of the hospital for regular checks-up during October 2009 to June 2010. Blood pressure ( BP), body mass index ( BMI), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total serum cholesterol (TC) , triglyceride (TG), highdensity lipoprotein-cholesterol ( HDL-C ), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ( LDL-C ), gammaglutamyltransferase ( GGT ), uric acid ( UA ) , highly-sensitive C-reactive protein ( hs-CRP) and homocysteine (Hey) of the two groups were compared. Results Comparing with the control group, the study group had higher diastolic blood pressure ( DBP) (t = 1898. 5, P < 0. 05) , BMI (t = - 5. 036, P < 0.01), FPG (t= -2.026, P<0.05), TG (t = 1923. 5, P<0.05), GGT (t = 1789, P <0.01), UA 0 = 1715, P<0.01), hs-CRP (t = 1832.5, P < 0.01) and lower level of HDL-C (t =2357.0, P< 0. 01). Serum activity of GGT correlated positively with BMI (rs = 0. 349, P = 0. 000), TG ( rs = 0.413,P =0.000), UA (rs =0.446, P= 0.000) and hs-CRP (rs =0.350, P = 0.000), respectively.Conclusions When patients of hypertension complicated with non-alcoholic fatty liver but normal aminotransferase, their cardiovascular risk factors clustered further, with serum activity of GGT obviously increased which correlated positively with various risk factors, indicating increase in cardiovascular risks. Key words: Hypertension; Fatty liver, non-alcoholic; Gamma-glutamyltransferase