Korean J Fam Pract 2019; 9(3): 260-265  https://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2019.9.3.260
Corrected QT Interval is Associated with Nonalconolic Fatty Liver Disease in Korean Adult Men
Ju-yeon Yu1, Yu-Jin Kwon2,*
1Department of Family Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul; 2Department of Family Medicine, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yongin, Korea
Yu-Jin Kwon
Tel: +82-31-331-8710, Fax: +82-31-331-5551
E-mail: digda3@yuhs.ac
Received: August 8, 2018; Revised: December 14, 2018; Accepted: January 9, 2019; Published online: June 20, 2019.
© 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: Recently, the incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been growing rapidly. Corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation is known to be associated with the risk of coronary heart disease. In this study, our aim was to establish whether NAFLD diagnosed using ultrasonography is associated with QTc intervals in Korean adult men.
Methods: We recruited 1,155 Korean adult men who visited the Gangnam Severance Hospital health promotion center between October 2007 and July 2010. The participants underwent liver ultrasonography according to a standardized protocol, which confirmed the diagnosis of NAFLD. Standard electrocardiography was performed for analysis of the QTc interval.
Results: The 1,155 participants had a mean QTc interval of 430.7±21.2 ms. Of them, 366 had a QTc interval ≥440 ms. The values of the QTc interval increased in relation to the severity of NAFLD. After adjustment for confounders, QT interval prolongation was significantly associated with NAFLD in the severe NAFLD group. The odds ratios were 2.102 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.536?2.877) (model 1), 1.986 (95% CI 1.399?2.819) (model 2), and 1.960 (95% CI 1.347?2.851) (model 3).
Conclusion: QTc interval prolongation was significantly associated with NAFLD severity in Korean adult men. Depending on the severity of NAFLD, QTc intervals were prolonged. QTc interval length is easily determined and may contribute to cardiovascular risk stratification in male patients with NAFLD.
Keywords: Non-Alcoholic Fattiy Liver Disease; Corrected QT; Ultrasonography
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