Relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver and hyperinsulinemia in normoglycemic subjects

    ZHANG Junª²Han, FU Guoª²Qin, ZHAI Huiª²Hong, GUO Wenª²Wei, ZHANG Linª²Hui

    Department of Cardiovasology, Kelamayi People¬ðs Hospital, Kelamayi 834000, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To investigate the relationship between degree of liver fat accumulation in normal glucose patients of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NFL) and hyperinsulinemia. METHODS: Serum lipids, insulin and free fatty acid (FFA) were measured in 30 patients of NFL and 22 control subjects. The patients of NFL were divided into low liver fat content (LLFC) and high liver fat content (HLFC) groups according to median of liver fat content (LFC) (4.34%). RESULTS: FINS, 2 h INS, TC, TG and LDLª²C were significantly elevated in the subjects of LLFC and HLFC compared with control subjects [FINS (mU/L): 12.8¡À5.5 vs 14.1¡À6.0 vs 9.4¡À1.8; 2 h INS (mU/L): 35.4¡À28.1 vs 31.7¡À26.3 vs 17.9¡À10.4; TC (mmol/L): 5.0¡À1.2 vs 5.6¡À1.3 vs 4.0¡À0.8; TG (mmol/L): 1.9¡À0.8 vs 3.8¡À2.1 vs 1.2¡À0.4; LDLª²C (mmol/L): 3.6¡À0.7 vs 3.9¡À1.0 vs 2.4¡À0.6, P<0.05]. Partial correlation analysis showed that LFC was positively correlated to FINS after adjusted age. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that waistª²toª²hip ratio (WHR) and BMI were the independent risk factors affecting LFC. CONCLUSION: Hyperinsulinemia is positively related to LFC in subjects of NFL, probably due to the effects of hyperinsulinemia on the metabolism of lipid. WHR and BMI are the main risk factors of LFC. ......