Abnormal aortic elasticity in patients with liver steatosis Zafer Is ¸ ılak a , Mustafa Aparcı b, *, Ejder Kardes ¸og ˘ lu a ,O ¨ mer Yig ˘ iner a , O ¨ mer Uz a , Onur Sildiroglu c , Namık O ¨ zmen a , Murat Yalc ¸ın d , Bekir Yılmaz Cingo ¨ zbay a , Bekir Sıtkı Cebeci a a GATA Haydarpas ¸a Teaching Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Istanbul, Turkey b Air Force Academy Hospital, Cardiology Service, Istanbul, Turkey c GATA Haydarpas ¸a Teaching Hospital, Department of Radiology, Istanbul, Turkey d Izmir Military Hospital, Cardiology Service, Izmir, Turkey What is known? Liver steatosis is reported to be associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Insulin resistance is one of the abnormalities which were accounted for liver steatosis. What is new? In this study we documented that elastic properties of aorta were abnormally changed in patients with liver steatosis. It was also associated with the grade of the liver steatosis. Our findings suggested that hemodynamic abnormalities induced by insulin resistance, inflammation, abnormal cholesterol profile may be the accountable mechanisms for abnormal elastic properties of aorta. 1. Introduction Recent data suggest that the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is increasing among the patients with non- diabetes research and clinical practice 87 (2010) 44–50 article info Article history: Received 20 April 2009 Received in revised form 15 October 2009 Accepted 19 October 2009 Published on line 18 November 2009 Keywords: Liver steatosis Aorta Insulin resistance Cholesterol Inflammation abstract Aim: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may be associated with insulin resistance. We aimed to evaluate elastic properties of aorta in patients with NAFLD. Material and method: Ninety-two patients with NAFLD and 47 healthy subjects were per- formed ultrasonographic and echocardiographic examination. Aortic stiffness index (ASI), aortic distensibility (AD) and aortic strain (AS) were compared between healthy subjects and patients and also among grade I and II liver steatosis. Statistical analysis was performed by Independent-Samples t-test, Pearson’s correlation test using SPSS 11.0. Results: ASI was significantly increased whereas AS and AD were reduced ( p > 0.05) in patients compared to normal ones. ASI was significantly increased while AD and AS slightly increased in patients with grade II liver steatosis compare to grade I. SBP and DBP, cholesterol levels, fasting blood glucose (FBG) were also increased and doppler flow para- meters of mitral inflow were abnormally changed in those patients. ASI was positively correlated with FBG, ALT and ALP levels, LDL cholesterol, heart rate and deceleration time of mitral E wave. Conclusion: Elastic properties of aorta were abnormally changed in patients with NAFLD. Multiple hemodynamic abnormalities probably associated with insulin resistance may be accountable for abnormal elastic properties of aorta. # 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +90 505 394 71 31; fax: +90 212 233 44 56. E-mail addresses: maparci@gmail.com, maparci@hotmail.com (M. Aparcı). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/diabres 0168-8227/$ – see front matter # 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2009.10.009