Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetic retinopathy: Is there an association?

Studies have not proven whether an association exists between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The reports from various parts of the world have not used uniform criteria, and hence, results are inconclusive. Both DR and NAFLD are common conditions encountered in primary care.

A total of 130 patients with type 2 diabetes from the medical wards of a tertiary care hospital were enrolled. After documentation of clinical and biochemical data, they underwent ultrasonography (USG) of the abdomen and fibroscan grading of liver. Retinopathy was assessed and classified as per the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study.

The mean age of the patients included in the study was 46.5+/-8.8 with 55% of the participants being male and 45% female. The mean HbA1c was 7.168+/2.4. The association between DR and hepatic fibrosis was assessed by fibroscan (p 0.003) and USG (p 0.001) and was significant on univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis did not confirm this. There was no association between increasing grades of either condition. Although fibroscan and USG significantly concorded in diagnosing NAFLD, fibroscan diagnosed more cases as compared to USG (83 vs 73).

Larger studies should be conducted to conclusively determine the association in order to investigate pathogenetic factors and treatment strategies.