Correlation between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and blood pressure variability in patients with hypertension

  AIM  To determine the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and blood pressure variability.

  METHODS  Patients with primary hypertension admitted in the Department of Cardiology, People’s Hospital of Xuancheng from September 2019 to July 2020 were included for this study and ambulatory blood pressure, 24 hours dynamic electrocardiogram and abdominal sonography were performed. The standard deviation of the 24-hour diastolic blood pressure variability and the 24-hour systolic blood pressure variability were regarded as the blood pressure variability. The patients were divided into NAFLD group (n=58) and non-NAFLD group (n=148). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and blood pressure variability.

  RESULTS  A total of 206 patients were selected. (1) Age and high-density lipoprotein in NAFLD group were lower than those in non-NAFLD group (P<0.05). Triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase and r-glutamyl transferase in NAFLD group were higher than those in non-NAFLD group (P<0.01).Those with NAFLD had higher Diastolic blood pressure variability and 24 hours diastolic blood pressure standard deviation in NAFLD group were also higher than those in non-NAFLD group (P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that NAFLD (B=0.220, P=0.003) was an influencing factor of 24h diastolic blood pressure variability. NAFLD had no effect on 24h systolic blood pressure variability.

  CONCLUSIONS  NAFLD is an influencing factor for diastolic blood pressure variability in patients with primary hypertension.