Clinical and Biochemical Studies of the Gender Specific Risk Factors for Cssardiovascular Disease in Patients of Type 2 Diabetes with NAFLD

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Additionally, the co-occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) further exacerbates this risk. While numerous studies have explored the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying CVD in T2DM, there is a notable paucity of research focusing on the gender-specific nuances of this complex interplay.  Methods & Materials: A hospital-based observational study was carried out in the Department of Medicine, Cumilla Medical College and Hospital, Bangladesh, from 1^st July to 31^st December 2012. Fifty admitted patients of type2 diabetes with NAFLD were included in this study.  Results: Out of 50 patients, 18(36%) were males and 32(64%) were females, with mean age 58.89 ± 8.38 and 54.6 ± 10.1 years respectively. The prevalence of hypertension (p <0.0001), obesity (measured by BMI) (p<0.0001), central obesity (measured by waist circumference and waist hip ratio) (p<0.0001), higher triglyceride levels (p<0.0001), higher LDL-C level (p<0.0001) and lower HDL-C levels (p<0.0001) were significantly higher among the study population. On statistical analysis, we found increasing grades of NAFLD were significantly associated with hypertension (p=0.0083), obesity (p=0.0006), increasing levels of total cholesterol (p<0.0001), ALT (p<0.0001), AST (p<0.0001) and ALP (p<0.0001). Conclusion: In our study we exposed that males exhibited a significantly higher propensity for smoking and possessed higher Body Mass Index (BMI) compared to females. On the other hand, females were more inclined to have higher Waist-to-Hip Ratios (WHRs) overall.