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Link suggested between hypothyroidism, NAFLD

Results from a recent study suggest a clinical relationship between hypothyroidism and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of 4,648 patients with a mean age of 48.6±11.8 years to determine whether a clinical association exists between hypothyroidism and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Participants included 2,324 patients with subclinical or overt hypothyroidism along and a 2,324-person control group. The presence of NAFLD was determined from ultrasound results and a daily alcoholic consumption of less than 20 g without the presence of other potential causes of liver disease.

Among patients with hypothyroidism, 30.2% of participants tested positive for NAFLD compared with 19.5% in the control group (P<.001). NAFLD also was more frequently present, along with abnormal liver enzyme levels, among patients with overt hypothyroidism (36.3% with NALFD; 25.9% with abnormal levels) as opposed to subclinical (29.9% NAFLD; 20.1% abnormal levels; P<.001). Investigators found the association between the two conditions to be statistically significant (OR=1.38; 95% CI, 1.17-1.62), along with the presence of NAFLD and the degree of hypothyroidism (OR=1.36; 95% CI, 1.16-1.61 for subclinical and OR=1.71; 95% CI, 1.10-2.66 for overt).

“Our study suggests that hypothyroidism is related to an increased prevalence of NAFLD and that the spectrum of hypothyroidism is associated with NAFLD in a dose-dependent manner,” the researchers wrote. “NAFLD is closely associated with hypothyroidism independently of known metabolic risk factors, thereby confirming a relevant clinical relationship between these two diseases.”