Hao‑Wen Liua, Jia‑Sin Liub, Ko‑Lin Kuob,c*
aDepartment of Family Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan, bDivision of Nephrology, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan, cSchool of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
Open Access funded by Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation
Abstract
Objective: Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) share common pathogenic mechanisms and risk factors. The relationship between in NAFLD and CKD remains controversial. We aim to assess the association between NAFLD and CKD. Materials and Methods: A cross‑sectional study was based on individuals who received physical checkups at the Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital from September 5, 2005, to December 31, 2016. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study population were collected. NAFLD was defined by abdominal ultrasonography and excluded other liver disease. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or the presence of proteinuria. The association between NAFLD and CKD was then analyzed using SAS software by using the multivariable logistic model. A higher prevalence of CKD was shown in individuals with NAFLD compared to those without NAFLD. Results: In univariate analysis, individuals with mild NAFLD and moderate‑to‑severe NAFLD were both significantly associated with CKD (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–1.33; OR, 1.66; CI, 1.49–1.85) when compared to individuals without NAFLD. After multivariate adjustment, individuals with moderate‑to‑severe NAFLD were stillsignificantly more likely to have CKD (OR, 1.17, 95% CI, 1.03–1.33). Conclusions: Our finding showed that the presence and severity of NAFLD was positively associated with CKD in unadjusted and adjusted analysis. Further follow‑up studies may be needed to validate these associations.
Keywords: Chronic kidney disease, Metabolic syndrome, Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Taiwan
