Pancretic Fat Accummulation is Associated with Subclinical Atherosclerosis

Abstract

We investigated the relationship between pancreatic fat accumulation and markers of atherosclerosis among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Patients with NAFLD have been reported to be at an increased risk of vascular events. We grouped 183 patients in whom we detected and graded hepatosteatosis (HS) on transabdominal ultrasonography into 2 groups based on the presence/absence of pancreatic fat. There were 85 participants (50 female; mean age: 53.6 ± 9.7 years) who were nonalcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) positive and 98 participants (56 female; mean age: 51.4 ± 9.3 years) who were NAFPD negative. Carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) was significantly greater in the group where HS was accompanied by NAFPD (0.51 [0.40–0.62] vs 0.45 [0.35–0.55] mm; P < .001). Multivariable analyses showed that the independent predictors of increased cIMT were age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.108; 95% CI: 1.059–1.158, P = .001), hypertension (OR: 2.244; 95% CI: 1.099–4.579, P = .026), and the presence of NAFPD (OR: 3.078; CI 95% CI: 1.531–6.190, P = .0002). In the present study we demonstrated that, in patients with NAFLD, pancreatic fat accumulation was significantly associated with cIMT, a marker of early atherosclerosis. NAFPD may increase the risk of vascular events associated with NAFLD.

Bidirectional association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and fatty pancreas: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Age, sex, ethnicity, unhealthy lifestyle, and metabolic disorders have been recognized as the common risk factors for fatty pancreas [3,7,9]. Growing evidence has shown associations between fat content in the pancreas and the liver, suggesting a potential relationship between fatty pancreas and NAFLD [10–34]. Some research has discovered evidence that fatty pancreas contributes to fat accumulation in the liver, potentially accelerating the progression of NAFLD [18].…”

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Pancreas Disease: A Diagnosis of Increasing Importance

“…17 Another study also reported that NAFPD was associated with significantly increased cIMT in patients with NAFLD. 16 The study of Sahin and Karadeniz 1 increases the evidence that points to an association between abnormal fat accumulation in the pancreas and markers of atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, this association requires further evaluation.…”

“…Age, hypertension and the presence of NAFPD were independent predictors of increased cIMT in multivariate analyses. Thus, the study of Sahin and Karadeniz 1 suggests that the presence of increased fat in the pancreas may be associated with the development of atherosclerosis in patients who also have HS.…”

“…In this issue of Angiology , Sahin and Karadeniz report the results of their study involving 183 patients with hepatic steatosis (HS) diagnosed by transabdominal ultrasonography. 1 Among these patients, 85 (46.5%) also had non-alcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD). Patients with both HS and NAFPD exhibited significantly greater carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), a marker of early atherosclerosis, compared with patients with HS only.…”

Intra‐pancreatic fat is associated with continuous glucose monitoring metrics

“…7 There is also a growing body of evidence linking fatty change of the pancreas with a broad spectrum of microvascular and macrovascular changes. 3,[8][9][10] Fatty change of the pancreas was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of retinopathy in individuals with T2DM, a relationship that was the strongest in the non-obese subgroup. 8 Regarding macrovascular pathologies, fatty change of the pancreas was significantly positively associated with the thickening of carotid intima-media and a higher incidence of carotid artery plaque and vascular stiffness in individuals with and without T2DM.…”