Search resultsModest alcohol consumption has an inverse association with liver fat content
Title
Modest alcohol consumption has an inverse association with liver fat content
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2012
Authors
Journal
Hepato-Gastroenterology
Volume
59
Issue
120
Pagination
2552 - 2556
Date published
2012
ISBN
01726390 (ISSN)
Keywords
Adiposity, Adult, alanine aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase blood level, alcohol, alcohol consumption, Alcohol Drinking, article, Biological Markers, computer assisted tomography, Cross-Sectional Studies, cross-sectional study, CT, disease association, enzyme activity, fat content, fatty liver, hemoglobin A1c, human, Humans, Intra-Abdominal Fat, intraabdominal fat, Japan, Japanese, Linear Models, Liver, Liver fat content, major clinical study, male, medical examination, metabolic syndrome X, Middle Aged, Multivariate Analysis, physical activity, priority journal, quantitative analysis, subcutaneous fat, Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, triacylglycerol, triacylglycerol blood level
Abstract
Background/Aims: Modest alcohol consumption has been suggested to be protective against alanine aminotransferase activities and ultrasonography- defined fatty liver. We aimed to explore the association between alcohol consumption and liver fat content as quantitatively determined by computed tomography (CT). Methodology: One-thousand two-hundred thirty-one Japanese males, aged over 40 years, voluntarily participated in a health check-up program including CT screening in 2009-2010. Exclusion criteria included positivity for the hepatitis B or C virus, abstinent alcoholics and potential hepatotoxic drug intake. Liver fat content, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue were determined by CT. The association between alcohol consumption (g/week) and liver attenuation values (HU) was investigated by multivariate analysis with metabolic syndrome factors, liver enzyme activities and physical activities as covariates. Results: One-thousand one-hundred thirty-eight subjects were eligible for this cross-sectional survey. VAT, triglyceride, glycated hemoglobin and alanine aminotransferase were significant and independent predictors for a decrease of liver attenuation. Alcohol consumption had a significant and independent association with an increase in liver attenuation (correlation coefficient=0.007, 95% CI=0.004-0.011, p<0.001) after adjusting for potential confounding variables. Conclusions: Alcohol consumption has an inverse association with CT-determined liver fat content independent of metabolic syndrome factors, liver enzyme activities and physical activities.