Korean J Fam Pract. 2018; 8(1): 131-135  https://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2018.8.1.131
Correlation between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Hemoglobin A1c Level in Adult Males without Diabetes
Tai Chi Lin1, Hye Mi Lee1, Han Na Seo1, Joon Suk Oh1, Hye Rim Kong2, Sung A Cho2, Bong Gyu Choi1,*
1Department of Family Medicine, Gwangmyeong Sungae Hospital, Gwangmyeong; 2Department of Family Medicine, Sungae Hospital, Seoul, Korea
Bong Gyu Choi
Tel: +82-2-2680-7114, Fax: +82-2-2680-7755
E-mail: stapy74@hanmail.net
ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3721-4913
Received: March 3, 2017; Revised: May 17, 2017; Accepted: September 29, 2017; Published online: February 20, 2018.
© The Korean Academy of Family Medicine. All rights reserved.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Background: Type 2 diabetes and obesity are known to be related with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) owing to insulin resistance. However, it is also a fact that NAFLD is found even among those who do not have type 2 diabetes and obesity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level and the prevalence of NAFLD.
Methods: Adult males, aged >20 years, who underwent a medical examination between January 2014 and December 2016 participated in the study. A bright liver observed on body ultrasonography was interpreted as NAFLD. HbA1c values with or without NAFLD were compared, and the prevalence of NAFLD according to HbA1c values was investigated.
Results: The mean HbA1c value was 5.38% in the normal group and 5.51% in the NAFLD group, which was higher (P＜0.05). As the HbA1c value was higher, the prevalence of NAFLD was also increased (P＜0.05). The degree of risk of developing NAFLD in group 4 was increased in comparison with that in group 1.
Conclusion: Among those who did not have diabetes, the NAFLD group showed higher HbA1c level, and the prevalence of NAFLD was increased as much as the HbA1c level was increased. Therefore, in the cases without diabetes, the HbA1c value could be used as a predictor. Further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the usefulness of HbA1c level as a general predictor.
Keywords: Hemoblobin A1c; Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Obesity
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