Menopause Does Not Affect Fatty Liver Severity In Women: A Population Study in a Mediterranean Area

Title:Menopause Does Not Affect Fatty Liver Severity In Women: A Population Study in a Mediterranean Area

Volume: 18 Issue: 5

Author(s): Nicola Veronese, Maria Notarnicola, Alberto Ruben Osella, Anna Maria Cisternino, Rosa Reddavide, Rosa Inguaggiato, Vito Guerra, Ornella Rotolo, Iris Zinzi, Marisa Chiloiro, Gioacchino Leandro, Mario Correale, Valeria Tutino, Giovanni Misciagna, Caterina Bonfiglio and Maria Gabriella Caruso*

Affiliation:

• Ambulatory of Clinical Nutrition, National Institute of Gastroenterology-Research Hospital, IRCCS "S. de Bellis", Castellana Grotte, Bari,Italy

Keywords: Fatty liver, metabolic syndrome, ultrasound, epidemiology, menopause, mediterranean area.

Abstract: Background and Objective: Estrogens could protect the liver from fatty degeneration, but there is little information about whether menopause is associated with the severity of alcoholic (AFL) and non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL). Our aim was to evaluate the distribution of fatty liver detected by ultrasound in pre- and post-menopausal women and the factors associated with these conditions.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the years from menopause were investigated through selfreported information. The degree of fatty liver was assessed through a standardized ultrasound examination (scores 0 to 6, higher values reflecting a greater severity). Liver steatosis was classified as NAFL or AFL based on a daily alcohol intake > 20g/d.

Results: The study included 752 women in menopause and 535 in pre-menopause. The years from menopause were not associated with the severity of liver steatosis in NAFL (p for trend=0.74; Spearman correlation=0.04; 95%CI: -0.09 to 0.17), whereas all the indexes of adiposity and the number of metabolic syndrome factors were associated with a higher liver steatosis score. Taking AFL liver steatosis as the outcome, the years since menopause were not significantly associated with liver steatosis in AFL (p for trend=0.50; Spearman correlation=0.09; 95%CI: -0.17 to 0.34), whilst the association between anthropometric parameters and liver steatosis severity resulted stronger in postmenopausal compared to pre- menopausal women.

Conclusion: the higher prevalence of fatty liver observed in post-menopausal women is probably not due to menopause per se, but to the adiposity (particularly abdominal) typical of this age and its consequences (such as metabolic syndrome).

Cite this article as:

Veronese Nicola , Notarnicola Maria , Osella Ruben Alberto , Cisternino Maria Anna, Reddavide Rosa , Inguaggiato Rosa , Guerra Vito , Rotolo Ornella , Zinzi Iris , Chiloiro Marisa , Leandro Gioacchino , Correale Mario , Tutino Valeria , Misciagna Giovanni , Bonfiglio Caterina and Caruso Gabriella Maria *, Menopause Does Not Affect Fatty Liver Severity In Women: A Population Study in a Mediterranean Area, Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets 2018; 18 (5) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871530318666180423101755