Abstract
Objective: Fatty liver is considered to be an aspect of metabolic syndrome and is frequently associated with hypertension. However, it has not been established that fatty liver causes hypertension. The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between fatty liver and occurrence of hypertension in subjects with normal blood pressure.
Methods: 1,088 men with normal blood pressure were studied. They were divided into 2 groups: non-fatty liver group (874 men) and fatty liver group (214 men). The prevalence of hypertension was compared between the groups after a 10-year follow- up period. Each group was further divided into 2 subgroups, according to presence or absence of fatty liver after 10 years, for which the prevalence of hypertension was compared. In the non-fatty liver group, the relationship between fatty liver and occurrence of hypertension was studied.
Results: The occurrence of hypertension in the 10-year longitudinal study was higher in the fatty liver group, compared to the non-fatty liver group. In the 4 subgroups, subjects with fatty liver at the end of the study were more hypertensive, compared to those without fatty liver. However, fatty liver was not found to be an independent risk factor of hypertension after adjustment for factors that may influence the occurrence of hypertension.
Conclusion: Fatty liver was frequently associated with hypertension. However, it was not an independent risk factor for hypertension.
