Thyroid Function and the Risk of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Morbid Obesity

Autores da FMUP

• Marta Borges Canha

  Autor

• João Sérgio De Lima Soares Neves

  Autor

• Fernando Miguel Da Silva Mendonça

  Autor

• Vanessa Alexandra Guerreiro Gonçalves

  Autor

• Madalena Pereira De Sousa Von Hafe Pérez

  Autor

• Catarina Afonso Couto E Vale

  Autor

• Eva Lau Gouveia

  Autor

• Paula Isabel Marques Simões De Freitas

  Autor

• Davide Maurício Costa Carvalho

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Silva, MM
• Costa, C
• Cabral, PM
• Lourenço, R
• Meira, P
• Salazar, D
• Ferreira, MJ
• Pedro, J
• Leite, A
• Viana, S
• Sande, A
• Belo, S

Unidades de investigação

• Cirurgia e Fisiologia

• Medicina

• RISE-Health

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

Abstract

Background An association between hypothyroidism and the risk of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has been suggested. This association remains to be elucidated in patients with morbid obesity. Aim To evaluate the association between thyroid function and parameters of liver function and hepatic scores in patients with morbid obesity. Methods Patients with morbid obesity followed in our center between January 2010 and July 2018 were included. The ones without evaluation of liver and thyroid functions were excluded. Fatty Liver Index (FLI) and BARD scores were used as predictors of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis, respectively. Results We observed a positive association between TSH and both BARD (OR 1.14; p = 0.035) and FLI (OR 1.19; p = 0.010) in the unadjusted analysis. We found a negative association between free triiodothyronine levels and BARD (OR 0.70; p<0.01) and a positive association between free triiodothyronine levels and FLI (OR 1.48; p = 0.022). Concerning liver function, we found a positive association between total bilirubin and free thyroxine levels (beta = 0.18 [0.02 to 0.35]; p = 0.033) and a negative association between total bilirubin and free triiodothyronine levels (beta = -0.07 [-0.14 to -0.002]; p = 0.042). Conclusion Higher levels of TSH and free triiodothyronine may be associated with a higher risk of NAFLD, particularly steatosis, in patients with morbid obesity.

Keywords

• hypothyroidism; fatty liver; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); obesity; thyroid function