Comparison of structural and functional vascular disorders in patients with comorbidity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and two types of arterial hypertension

Abstract

Background: The aim was to conduct a comparative assessment of structural and functional vascular disorders in patiets with comorbidity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and two types of arterial hypertension (HTN). Material and methods: The study included 329 patients 18–66 years old. All patients were divided into five groups:patients with comorbidity of NAFLD and primary HTN (121 subjects), patients with comorbidity of NAFLD and renal parenchymal HTN (88 subjects), patients with NAFLD (60 subjects), patients with primary HTN (30 subjects), patients with renal parenchymal HTN (30 people). The control group consisted of 20 healthy individuals of similar age and gender categories. Results: In the comparative analysis of the structural and functional ultrasonographic parameters of vessels, no significant differences between two comorbidity groups NAFLD + primary HTN and NAFLD + renal parenchymal HTN were found. The influence of AH and degree of liver steatosis on ultrasound indicators of arteries in examined patients with comorbidity was evaluated by MANOVA analysis. The influence of the HTN factor and the influence of the liver steatosis factor were evaluated separately, after which the influence of the comorbidity factor, i.e., the combined influence of these factors and one or another indicator, was evaluated. The additive effect of the factors of AH and liver steatosis was identified according to the parameters: intima media thickness, pulse wave velocity in the carotid artery, pulse wave velocity in the abdominal aorta and endothelial-related vasodilation, which indicates an important comorbid effect of NAFLD and primary/renal parenchymal HTN on the structural and functional state of arteries. Conclusions: There are no differences between the structural and functional indicators of arteries in patients with comorbidity of NAFLD + primary HTN and NAFLD + renal parenchymal HTN. The factor of the presence of HTN and the degree of liver steatosis significantly affect structural and functional indicators of the studied arteries. Key words: structural and functional vascular alterations; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; hypertension