The impact of vitamin d in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A cross-sectional study in patients with morbid obesity

• Main Author: Borges-Canha, M
• Publication Date: 2021
• Other Authors: Neves, JS, Mendonça, F, Silva, MM, Costa, C, Cabral, PM, Guerreiro, V, Lourenço, R, Meira, P, Salazar, D, Ferreira, MJ, Pedro, J, Leite, AR, Von-Hafe, M, Vale, C, Viana, S, Varela, A, Belo, S, Lau, E, Freitas, P, Carvalho, D
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Download full: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/150458

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the association between vitamin D status and hepatic function parameters and scores: Fatty Liver Index (FLI, predictor of hepatic steatosis) and BARD (BMI, AST/ALT ratio and DM, predictor of hepatic fibrosis) in patients with morbid obesity. Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional study including patients with morbid obesity followed in our centre between January 2010 and July 2018. Patients with missing vitamin D levels or hepatic profile parameters were excluded. We divided the population according to two cut-offs of vitamin D levels (12ng/mL and 20ng/mL). Results: The included population (n=1124) had an average age of 43.3±10.7 years and 84.3% were female. Seventy-point eight percent of the population had vitamin D levels lower than 20ng/mL and 34.8% lower than 12ng/dL. Patients with lower vitamin D levels (<12ng/mL) had higher BMI, hip and waist circumferences and higher prevalence of hypertension. Higher FLI scores [OR= 0.77 (0.07), p<0.01] and ALP levels [ß= -0.03 (-0.06, -0.01), p<0.01] associated to lower vitamin D levels. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher risk of hepatic steatosis in individuals with morbid obesity. Correction of vitamin D deficiency may have a beneficial role in the management of NAFLD in patients with morbid obesity.