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Patients with Type 2 diabetes are more likely to have fatty livers than those persons of the same sex and weight without diabetes. However, estimates of hepatic fat content are generally underestimated by assessment of liver enzyme levels according to a recent study published in Diabetes Care.

Researchers at the University of Helsinki conducted a study to assess the percentage of fatty liver tissue in Type 2 diabetics compared to matched controls. Patients were matched by three factors: sex, age, and body mass index (BMI). A secondary inquiry was the accuracy of liver enzymes in pinpointing liver fat, particularly serum alanine aminotransferase (S-ALT) and serum aspartate aminotransferase, among the two groups.

140 patients were recruited to participate in the trial; 70 had Type 2 diabetes and 70 did not. The cases were matched as described above. Body composition was assessed with MR spectroscopy and the fat content of the liver was assessed with H-MR spectroscopy. Patients underwent blood draws for routine chemistry analysis.

Diabetics had liver fat content almost 80 percent higher and 16 percent more intra-abdominal fat than the matched controls, a statistically significant finding. The discrepancy noted between the two groups increased as patients were more obese and was not affected by the use of antihyperglycemic therapy. Additionally, the team noted that S-ALT levels do not accurately reflect the level of liver fat in the diabetic patients. That lab test is noted to underestimate liver fat.

The degree of liver fat is a relevant datapoint in that it can be a diagnostic tool to assess diabetic patients for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; a condition which can develop into cirrhosis and progress to liver failure. An accurate assessment of liver fat in this population can guide treatment decisions for these patients.

February 5, 2008 Related topics: Laboratory Equipment, Diagnostic, Renal & Urology