[PP.01.09] ASSOCIATION OF NORMOTENSION, WHITE-COAT HYPERTENSION, MASKED HYPERTENSION AND SUSTAINED HYPERTENSION WITH NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE. (September 2016) - Manios, E.
Abstract : Objective: Previous studies have demonstrated that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with arterial hypertension and that patients with NAFLD present higher ambulatory blood pressure (BP) values compared to those with normal liver. However, it remains unclear whether other BP profiles such as white-coat hypertension (WCH) and masked hypertension (MH) are associated with NAFLD. Aim of our study was to evaluate the associations of normotension (NT), WCH, MH and sustained hypertension (SH) with NAFLD. Design and method: A total of 240 consecutive never treated individuals referred for evaluation to the Hypertension Unit of our department, underwent 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring and liver ultrasound. Subjects were divided into 4 subgroups according to office and 24-h ambulatory systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) values: NT (SBP < 140 mmHg and DBP < 90 mmHg) and (24-h SBP < 130 mmHg and 24-h DBP < 80 mmHg), WCH (SBP>=140 mmHg and/or DBP>=90 mmHg) and (24-h SBP < 130 mmHg and 24-h DBP < 80 mmHg), MH (SBP < 140 mmHg and DBP < 90 mmHg) and (24-h SBP>=130 mmHg and/or 24-h DBP>=80 mmHg), SH (SBP>=140 mmHg and/or DBP>=90 mmHg) and (24-h SBP>=130 mmHg and/or 24-h DBP>=80 mmHg). Patients with NAFLD were defined by the presence of hyperechogenity of liver in contrast to the cortical portion of the right kidney and either vascular blurring or deep attenuation in the liver ultrasound. Statistical analysis was performed by means of ANOVA and x-square test. Results: Our study population consisted of NTs (17%), WCHs (24%), MHs (10%), and SHs (49%). The percentage of patients with NAFLD was 69%. Patients with SH (79%) had significantly higher prevalence of NAFLD than NT (52%, p = 0.002) and WCH (60%, p = 0.011) subjects and similar prevalence to MHs (74%). Patients with MH presented higher prevalence of NAFLD compared to NT and WCH individuals, although non-significant. WCH subjects did not differ significantly from NTs in terms of NAFLD. Conclusions: The prevalence of NAFLD in WCH subjects was significantly lower compared to SH patients and similar to NT individuals. Patients with MH presented higher prevalence of NAFLD than NT and WCH subjects but statistically non-significant due to the small number of MH patients.