AUTHOR=Choi Ji Min , Park Hyo Eun , Han Yoo Min , Lee Jooyoung , Lee Heesun , Chung Su Jin , Lim Seon Hee , Yim Jeong Yoon , Chung Goh Eun 

TITLE=Non-alcoholic/Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease and Helicobacter pylori Additively Increase the Risk of Arterial Stiffness

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.844954

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2022.844954

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and <italic>Helicobacter pylori</italic> (<italic>Hp</italic>) infection have a close association with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is characterized by metabolic dysfunction in NAFLD. We investigated the synergistic effects of NAFLD/MAFLD and <italic>Hp</italic> infection on the risk of arterial stiffness in an asymptomatic population.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>We included individuals who underwent abdominal ultrasonography, anti-<italic>Hp</italic> IgG antibody evaluations and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) during health screening tests between January 2013 and December 2017. Arterial stiffness was defined using CAVI. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the independent and synergistic effects of NAFLD/MAFLD and <italic>Hp</italic> infection on the risk of arterial stiffness.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Among 3,195 subjects (mean age 54.7 years, 68.5% male), the prevalence of increased arterial stiffness was 36.4%. In the multivariate analysis, subjects with NAFLD but without <italic>Hp</italic> infection and those with both NAFLD and <italic>Hp</italic> infection had a significantly higher risk of increased arterial stiffness [odds ratio (OR) 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15–2.26, and OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.63–3.06, respectively], than subjects without <italic>Hp</italic> infection and NAFLD. Regarding MAFLD, <italic>Hp</italic> infection additively increased the risk of arterial stiffness in subjects with MAFLD (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.64–2.78).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title><p>An interactive effect of <italic>Hp</italic> infection on the risk of arterial stiffness in individuals with NAFLD/MAFLD was observed. <italic>Hp</italic> infection additively increases the risk of arterial stiffness in subjects with NAFLD or MAFLD.</p></sec>