10, 18-20 The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between NAFLD and CAC, taking into account the risk factors for coronary artery disease, including VAT in a large, apparently healthy population. ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; CAC,

coronary artery calcification; click here CI, confidence interval; CT, computed tomography; GGT, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; NAFLD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; OR, odds ratio; SNUBH-HPC, Seoul National University Hospital Bundang Hospital Health Promotion Center; SNUH-HCS, Seoul National University Hospital Gangnam Healthcare Center; VAT, visceral adipose tissue. This cross-sectional study retrospectively enrolled a total of 5,648 adults who visited two health screening centers, the Seoul National University Hospital Gangnam Healthcare Center (SNUH-HCS) and Bundang Hospital Health Promotion Center (SNUBH-HPC), for a comprehensive health evaluation (including CAC) between October 2003 and December 2008. Some subjects voluntarily paid for a general health check, and others were supported by their employer. This screening program included calcium-scoring computed tomography (CT) with or without an abdominal fat CT as well as hepatic

ultrasonography on the same day. Out of the 5,648 subjects, we excluded 419 subjects who had a history of heart attack, coronary artery disease EPZ-6438 cost including

acute myocardial infarction, angina, or congestive heart failure. We also excluded 1,206 subjects with at least one potential cause of chronic liver disease: 701 subjects with excessive alcohol consumption (≥ 20 g/day), 241 with positive hepatitis B surface antigen, 54 with positive hepatitis C antibody, and 42 with other history of hepatitis or liver disease (e.g., hemochromatosis, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson disease, etc). C1GALT1 In addition, we excluded 168 subjects who had taken medications with known hepatotoxicity (e.g., estrogens, tamoxifen, glucosteroids, amiodarone, methotrexate, diltiazem, and valproate) during the previous year. Altogether, 4,023 subjects were enrolled in the study, 1,854 of whom had a CT measurement of their abdominal fat. The study protocol conformed to the ethical guidelines of the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Seoul National University Hospital. In addition to a laboratory examination, each subject underwent a questionnaire assessment and an anthropometric assessment. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured twice on the same day, and the mean of the two values was used in the analysis. Height and body weight were measured using a digital scale.