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Abstract
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver
disease (NAFLD) being linked to the metabolic
syndrom may represent a cardiovascular (CV)
risk factor. This study was designed to estimate
the association between the stage of fibrosis in
normotensive patients with NAFLD and exercise
blood pressure response.
METHODS: We carried out a prospective study
on normotensive 70 patients with biopsy-proven
NAFLD. We divided the study group into 3
different groups as group 1: simple steatosis
(n=20); group 2: NASH with fibrosis stage 1
(n=36) and group 3: NASH with fibrosis stage 2
or 3 (n=14). These patients underwent several
cardiovascular investigations by twenty-four
hour blood pressure monitoring and treadmill
effort testing.
RESULTS: The values for recovery diastolic
blood pressure (DBP) in group 3 was higher in
comparison with group 2 in 1 st min (79,6±9,7
vs 69,5±9,3, p<0,05); in 2 nd min (77,8±12,4 vs.
66,3±11,7, p<0,05); in 3 rd min (78,3±10,7 vs.
67,8±11,6, p<0,05); in 4 th min (79,3±11,4 vs.
67,8±11,6, p<0,01) and in 5 th min (79,3±11,4
vs. 68,9±10,4 p<0,01) of treadmill testing.
CONCLUSIONS: The patients with
steatohepatitis had progression in Recovery DBP
in accordance with stage of fibrosis. These
findings suggest that exercise testing can provide
valid information that may help identify patients with steatohepatitis with normal BP at a greater
risk for future hypertention.