Fatty liver in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: clinical features and risk factors

This study was conducted to analyze clinical features of fatty liver and identify risk factors for fatty liver in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. A total of 40 patients (25 men, 15 women; mean age, 62 years) were enrolled. The degree of fatty liver estimated by CT correlated with HOMA-IR and visceral fat area. BMI, HOMA-IR, ALT, abdominal fat content, and the frequency of metabolic syndrome in patients with fatty liver (n=15) were significantly higher than those in patients without fatty liver (n=25). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that HOMA-IR and ALT were independent risk factors for fatty liver. Insulin resistance may play a key role in the development of fatty liver in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.