Abstract
Objective: Both nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nephrolithiasis are considered to be associated with lifestyle-related diseases and metabolic syndrome (MetS). We analyzed an association between NAFLD and nephrolithiasis.
Methods: Subjects were 2,227 persons who underwent ultrasonography at our Center from June 2011 to December 2013. Those with past history of liver diseases and/or alcohol intake of > 20g/day had been excluded. Subjects were divided into a group with NAFLD and a group without NAFLD by gender. Age, presence of life-style related diseases, therapeutic situation, frequency of MetS, and lifestyle were compared between the 2 groups. The same factors were also compared between groups with nephrolithiasis and groups without nephrolithiasis. According to presence or absence of NAFLD, we divided subjects into two groups, and compared the frequency of nephrolithiasis, and according to presence or absence of nephrolithiasis we divided subjects into two groups and compared the frequency of NAFLD. Furthermore, according to presence or absence of NAFLD and nephrolithiasis we divided them into to four groups (neither NAFLD nor nephrolithiasis, only nephrolithiasis, only NAFLD, both nephrolithiasis and NAFLD) and compared them.
Results: In multivariate analysis, a significant association with NAFLD was observed for obesity, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose tolerance, but only in males for hyperuricaemia. A significant association with nephrolithiasis was observed for hypertension and dyslipidemia in males. There was an association between presence of NAFLD and that of nephrolithiasis. In the comparison of four groups, frequencies of life-style related diseases and MetS in the group with both NAFLD and nephrolithiasis were higher than in the other three groups.
Conclusions: Our study suggested that both NAFLD and nephrolithiasis were related to life-style related diseases and MetS, and the pathological mechanisms of NAFLD and nephrolithiasis were similar. However, NAFLD was more strongly associated with life-style related diseases and MetS than nephrolithiasis. The combined presence of NAFLD and nephrolithiasis could enhance the progression of atherosclerosis.
