Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and risk of intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

This study aimed to investigate the association between the steatosis severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and future intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We used data from the Kailuan study. Participants without a history of stroke, myocardial infarction, cancer, other liver diseases or alcohol abuse were enrolled. NAFLD and the severity of liver steatosis were assessed by abdominal ultrasonography. We stratified the participants into different groups according to the severity changes in liver steatosis status across the first 4-year follow-up period. The outcome was the first occurrence of ICH during the next 6-year follow-up period. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CI of ICH were estimated using Cox models adjusted for potential risk factors. A total of 49,906 participants were enrolled in this study. During a median of 6.79 years of follow-up, 193 incident ICH cases were identified. Compared with persistent nonfatty liver participants, the hazard ratios (HRs) for participants with persistent mild steatosis, persistent moderate steatosis, persistent severe steatosis, alleviating steatosis, and aggravating steatosis were 1.28 (95% CI, 0.75-2.18), 2.33 (95% CI, 1.24-4.38), 1.63 (95% CI, 0.22-12.11), 1.41 (95% CI, 0.91-2.18), and 1.37 (95% CI, 0.94-2.00), respectively, in the fully adjusted model.

CONCLUSIONS

NAFLD with persistent moderate steatosis was significantly related to an increased risk of future ICH, independent of other conventional risk factors.