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Increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus in association with fatty liver in a Japanese population

  • Original Article—Liver, Pancreas, and Biliary Tract
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has been increasing. The present study was carried out to examine the relationship between this increase and fatty liver.

Methods

Japanese participants who underwent regular health examinations in 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, and 2011 were enrolled. Fatty liver was diagnosed using ultrasonography. DM was defined as requiring the use of medication for DM, having a fasting blood glucose level ≥126 mg/dl, or hemoglobin A1c level ≥6.5 %.

Results

Logistic regression analysis on data from 11,235 participants (6,882 men and 4,271 women) in 2011 revealed that the association between fatty liver and DM was independent of age, body composition, and other confounders [odds ratio (OR) 1.97, 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) 1.66–2.32 in men, and OR, 3.12; 95 % CI, 2.29–4.26 in women]. In 2006, 5,318 participants did not have DM and were able to be followed up in 2011. Fatty liver in 2006 was an independent predictor of DM in 2011 [OR 1.73 (95 % CI 1.20–2.50) in men, 4.13 (2.16–8.10) in women]. The prevalence of DM increased significantly during the 20-year period examined among both men (6.0, 8.9, 10.0, 10.8, 12.0 %, P < 0.001) and women (3.3, 4.5, 4.2, 4.1, 5.1 %, P = 0.004), accompanied with an increased prevalence of fatty liver among both men (10.8, 26.3, 33.8, 36.7, and 38.0 %, P < 0.001) and women (6.5, 16.7, 22.2, 21.3, and 20.8 %, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Fatty liver independently predicts both present and future DM. Fatty liver may play an important role in the recent increases in the prevalence of DM.

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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 (No. 23590981), and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (H20-Hepatitis-general-008).

Conflict of interest

HT holds endowed faculty positions in research for HGF tissue repair and regenerative medicine, and has received funds from Eisai Co., Ltd. The other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Kagoshima Kouseiren Hospital, 22-25 Tenpozan-cho, Kagoshima, 890-0061, Japan

    Yasushi Imamura, Yasunari Hiramine, Kaori Hosoyamada & Sho Ijuin

  2. Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan

    Hirofumi Uto, Sho Ijuin, Makoto Oketani & Akio Ido

  3. Kagoshima Kouseiren Medical Health Care Center, 1-13-1 Yojirou, Kagoshima, 890-0062, Japan

    Shiro Yoshifuku, Hironori Miyahara & Shigeho Maenohara

  4. Department of Surgery, Kagoshima Kouseiren Hospital, 22-25 Tenpozan-cho, Kagoshima, 890-0061, Japan

    Shigeho Maenohara

  5. Department of HGF Tissue Repair and Regenerative Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan

    Hirohito Tsubouchi

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  1. Yasushi Imamura
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  2. Hirofumi Uto
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Correspondence to Hirofumi Uto.

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Imamura, Y., Uto, H., Hiramine, Y. et al. Increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus in association with fatty liver in a Japanese population. J Gastroenterol 49, 1406–1413 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-013-0902-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-013-0902-2

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