Subclinical hypothyroidism in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease at the background of carbohydrate metabolism disorders.

OBJECTIVE

Introduction: The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is 25-30% in the general population and more than 75% among patients with carbohydrate metabolism disorders. One in six patients with NAFLD has concomitant subclinical hypothyroidism. The aim is to compare lipid and carbohydrate metabolism states in patients with NAFLD depending on the functional state of the thyroid gland.

METHODS

Materials and methods:215 patients with NAFLD and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2-DM) or pre-diabetes (PD) were involved in study and devided into 6 groups according to the functional state of the thyroid gland.

RESULTS

Results: In cases of adding subclinical hypothyroidism systolic and diastolic blood pressure are rising. In patients with overt hypothyroidism average HOMA-IR index is 29,98±1,05, which exceeds the corresponding figure in patients with concomitant subclinical hypothyroidism. In patients whose hypothyroidism has been compensated by levothyroxine, HOMA-IR index was reduced to 18,56±1,58, indicating a tendency to restore the sensitivity of peripheral tissues to insulin, on the assumption under the medicatedcorrection of thyroid functional status. Levels of common cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in cases of NAFLD with subclinical or overt hypothyroidism than in patients with NAFLD and normal thyroid function. Replacement therapy by levothyroxine leads to improving of lipid changes in patients with NAFLD and concomitant overt hypothyroidism: the levels of common cholesterol and triglycerides were reducing from 6,04±1,18 mmol/l and 3,96±1,34 mmol/l to 5,97±1,1 mmol/l and 3,45±1,13 mmol/l in accordance.

CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions: Concomitant subclinical hypothyroidism in patients with NAFLD at the background of carbohydrate metabolism disorders leads to atherogenic dyslipidemia, increasing of blood atherogenicity. The index of lipid accumulated product (LAP) and the resistance of peripheral tissues to insulin also increases.