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Impact of cigarette smoking on onset of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease over a 10-year period

  • Original Article—Liver, Pancreas, and Biliary Tract
  • Published:
Journal of Gastroenterology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Metabolic syndrome, which includes obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, is a major risk factor for the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for metabolic syndrome, but the epidemiological impact of cigarette smoking on development of NAFLD is unclear.

Methods

In this retrospective study, 2,029 subjects underwent a complete medical health checkup in 1998 and again in 2008. Those who were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis C virus antibody, or had an alcohol intake of >20 g/day as assessed by questionnaire, were excluded. Fatty liver was diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography. Independent risk factors associated with the development of NAFLD were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis. Smoking status was expressed using the Brinkman index (BI), which was calculated as the number of cigarettes smoked per day multiplied by the number of years of smoking.

Results

Of 1,560 subjects without NAFLD in 1998, 266 (17.1%) were newly diagnosed with NAFLD in 2008. Multiple logistic analysis identified age [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.95, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.94–0.97], male sex (AOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.01–2.10), body mass index ≥25 (AOR 3.08, 95% CI 2.20–4.32), dyslipidemia (AOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.25–2.58) and cigarette smoking (AOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.34–2.72) as risk factors associated with the development of NAFLD. Smoking status at baseline was also associated with the development of NAFLD (BI 1–399: AOR 1.77, 95% CI 1.02–3.07, BI ≥400: AOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.37–3.03).

Conclusion

Cigarette smoking is an independent risk factor for onset of NAFLD.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Digestive and Life-Style Related Diseases, Health Research Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8520, Japan

    Ayaka Hamabe, Hirofumi Uto, Seiichi Mawatari, Kotaro Kumagai, Takeshi Kure, Tsutomu Tamai, Akihiro Moriuchi, Toshio Sakiyama, Makoto Oketani, Akio Ido & Hirohito Tsubouchi

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Kagoshima Kouseiren Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan

    Yasushi Imamura

  3. Kagoshima Kouseiren Medical Health Care Center, Kagoshima, Japan

    Ken Kusano

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  1. Ayaka Hamabe
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Correspondence to Hirofumi Uto.

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Hamabe, A., Uto, H., Imamura, Y. et al. Impact of cigarette smoking on onset of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease over a 10-year period. J Gastroenterol 46, 769–778 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-011-0376-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-011-0376-z

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