Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with progression of arterial stiffness

Background and aims: NAFLD is an independent risk factor for increased cardiovascular disease. Arterial stiffness is an index of subclinical atherosclerosis. The aims of this study were to examine prospectively the relationship between Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the progression of arterial stiffness. Methods and results: A prospective study of 728 men and 497 women free of hypertension, and diabetes at the baseline were conducted. The subjects were followed for 5 years. The progression rate of arterial stiffness was measured by calculating the increase in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) the changes of the baPWV (adjusted for age) during the study period was significantly greater in the patients with NAFLD (172.4±42.1cm/s for men, 95.8±36.7cm/s for women) than in the subjects without NAFLD (70.3±56.5cm/s for men, 55.4±42.2cm/s for women). For the subjects with metabolic syndrome, after adjusting for multiple risk factors, NAFLD was a significant predictor of baPWV progression (for male, β=0.843; P<0.001; for female, β=0.575; P<0.001, respectively). In addition, results were unmodified in subjects without metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: NAFLD was found to be an independent predictor of faster progression of baPWV even after adjusting other cardiovascular risk factors. These prospective data support a pathogenic role for NAFLD in the development of arterial stiffness.