[An epidemiologic study of the relation between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and glycosylated hemoglobin among middle-aged and aged people].

Objective: To study the correlation between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in middle-aged and aged population.
Methods: A total of 4 127 in-service workers and retirees aged 45 years old or above from one petrochemical enterprise in Ningbo were enrolled in our study. The waistline, body mass index, blood pressure, fasting blood-glucose, blood lipid profile, glutamyltranspeptidase, HbA1c and epigastrium B ultrasound were investigated. According to the quartile of HbA1c level, participants were divided into four groups, namely, Q1 group ≤5.2%, Q2 group >5.2%-5.4%, Q3>5.4%-5.6% and Q4 group>5.6%. The prevalence of NAFLD and clinical characteristics of each group were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to predict independent risk factors of NAFLD.
Results: The morbidity of NAFLD was 27.2% with 31.9% in male and 21% in female, which was significantly higher in men. In Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 group, the prevalence of NAFLD were 18.5% (178/961), 22.8% (185/812), 25.6% (280/1 095), 38.1% (480/1 259) respectively. With the increase of HbA1c level, the morbidity of NAFLD increased synchronously. The age, systolic pressure, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterin and fasting blood-glucose were all elevated according to the increase of HbA1c in 1 123 NAFLD patients. Multi-factor logistic regression analysis indicated that high HbAlc level was the risk factor of NAFLD (OR=1.67, 95%CI 1.15-2.43, P=0.007).
Conclusion: HbA1c is an independent risk factor of NAFLD and both of these are closely related to blood lipid metabolism disorder.