scholarly journals Is there an association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cognitive function? A systematic review

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena S. George ◽  
Surbhi Sood ◽  
Robin M. Daly ◽  
Sze-Yen Tan

Abstract Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is represented as the most common liver disease worldwide. NAFLD is associated with metabolic risk factors underpinned by insulin resistance, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, leading to extrahepatic changes in central nervous diseases such as cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The aim of the review is to explore the association between NAFLD and cognitive function. Methods Using the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic electronic literature search was conducted in four databases: MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Embase and CINAHL from inception until March 2021. Neuropsychological tests utilised within each study were grouped into relevant cognitive domains including ‘general cognition’, ‘reasoning’, ‘mental speed, attention and psychomotor speed’, ‘memory and learning’, ‘language’, ‘visuospatial perception’ and ‘ideas, abstraction, figural creations and mental flexibility’. Results Eleven observational studies that involved 7978 participants with a mean age of 51 years were included. Those with NAFLD had poor cognitive performance in three cognitive domains, including ‘general cognition’, ‘mental speed, attention and psychomotor speed’, and ‘ideas, abstraction, figural creations and mental flexibility’. Conclusion The observed results from the 11 included studies showed that NAFLD was associated with lower cognitive performance across several domains. However, studies conducted to date are limited to observational designs and are heterogeneous with varying diagnostic tools used to assess cognitive function. Trial registration PROSPERO Registration: CRD42020161640.

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. P837-P838
Author(s):  
Galit Weinstein ◽  
Kendra Davis-Plourde ◽  
Jayandra J. Himali ◽  
Shira Zelber-Sagi ◽  
Alexa S. Beiser ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sze-Yen Tan ◽  
Ekavi N. Georgousopoulou ◽  
Barbara R. Cardoso ◽  
Robin M. Daly ◽  
Elena S. George

Abstract Background Nuts are nutrient-rich and reported to provide some cognitive and cardiometabolic health benefits, but limited studies have focused on older adults. This study investigated the cross-sectional relationship between habitual nut intake, dietary pattern and quality, cognition and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in older adults. Methods Older adults (≥ 60 years) from the NHANES 2011-12 and 2013-14 cohorts, who had complete data on cognitive function (as CERAD total, delayed recall, animal fluency and digit-symbol substitution test) and variables to calculate the Fatty Liver Index (FLI), an indicator of NAFLD, were included (n = 1848). Nut intake and diet quality (Healthy Eating Index 2015) were determined using two 24-hour diet recalls. Participants were categorised into one of four groups based on their habitual nut intake: non-consumers (0 g/d), low intake (0.1–15.0 g/d), moderate intake (15.1–30.0 g/d) or met recommendation (> 30 g/d), with all outcomes compared between these nut intake groups. Results Cognitive scores of older adults were the lowest in non-consumers and significantly highest in the moderate intake group, with no further increase in those who consumed nuts more than 30 g/d (p < 0.007). FLI was the lowest among older adults with moderate nut intake but the associations disappeared after adjusting for covariates (p = 0.329). Moderate nut intake was also associated with better immediate and delayed memory in older adults with high risk of NAFLD (FLI ≥ 60) (B = 1.84 and 1.11, p < 0.05 respectively). Higher nutrient intake and better diet quality (p < 0.001) were seen with higher nut intake but did not influence energy from saturated fat intake. Factor analysis revealed ‘Nuts and oils’ as one of the four major dietary patterns associated with better cognition and lower FLI scores. Conclusions Moderate nut intake (15.1–30.0 g/d) may be sufficient for better cognitive performance, but not NAFLD risk of older adults in the US.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1713-1721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galit Weinstein ◽  
Kendra Davis‐Plourde ◽  
Jayandra J. Himali ◽  
Shira Zelber‐Sagi ◽  
Alexa S. Beiser ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmalyn Pilande ◽  
Shirley So ◽  
Unhee Lim ◽  
Meredith Hullar ◽  
Lynne Wilkens ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Intra-abdominal adiposity in the viscera and liver, compared to total adiposity, carries a higher metabolic risk, and it varies substantially by sex and race. We examined the association of neurometabolites and cognitive function with visceral obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in multiethnic older adults. Methods The Multiethnic Cohort Brain-Gut-Adiposity Study included 100 participants aged 61–77 years, who were recruited into balanced strata by sex, ancestry (Japanese, Native Hawaiian or white) and body mass index (BMI) levels (range: 18.0–44.9 kg/m2). We measured the concentration of key brain metabolites in the frontal and parietal gray matter (GM) and frontal white matter using 1H-MRS and assessed cognitive function using the Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) and the NIH Toolbox (NIHTB) tests. Mean neurometabolite levels and cognition scores were compared by visceral obesity (visceral fat area at L1-L5 > 150 cm2) and NAFLD (liver fat >5.0%) status determined by abdominal MR imaging, while adjusting for age, sex, race, education, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry-based total adiposity and other confounders. Results The prevalence of visceral obesity was 52%, NAFLD 32%, and both conditions 27%. Participants with visceral obesity had higher adjusted mean levels of total glutamate [11.6 (11.3, 12.0) vs. 10.8 (10.4, 11.2) mM/kg; P = 0.01] and myo-inositol [5.2 (5.0, 5.4) vs. 4.7 (4.6, 4.9) mM/kg; P = 0.004] in the parietal GM but had similar levels of total choline, total creatine and N-acetylaspartate. NAFLD status was not significantly associated with the levels of neurometabolites. No significant interaction was detected between the two conditions: participants with either condition compared to those with neither showed a trend toward higher levels of myo-inositol [5.2 (4.9, 5.5) vs. 4.8 (4.5, 5.0) mM/kg; P = 0.07]. Further, participants with NAFLD scored lower for crystallized cognition for language [113 (110, 117) vs. 118 (116, 120); P = 0.02], in particular for reading ability [113 (109, 117) vs. 119 (117, 123); P = 0.03]. Conclusions Results of this comprehensive, pilot imaging study suggest that, regardless of total adiposity and race/ethnicity, high visceral adiposity is associated with elevated concentrations of inflammatory neurometabolites, and NAFLD is associated with reduced language abilities. Funding Sources National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and National Cancer Institute).


2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Liu ◽  
Chang Liu ◽  
Feifei Hu ◽  
Xuan Deng ◽  
Yumei Zhang

Background and PurposeNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cognitive impairment are common aging-related disorders. This study aims to explore the changes of cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly population with NAFLD from a Jidong impairment cohort.MethodsA total of 1,651 middle-aged and elderly participants (&gt;40 years) without cognitive impairment were recruited into the current study in 2015 and were followed up until to 2019. Abdominal ultrasonography was used for diagnosis of NAFLD. Global cognitive function was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Cognitive impairment was defined as a score &lt;18 for illiterates, a score &lt;21 for primary school graduates, and a score &lt;25 for junior school graduates or above. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between NAFLD and the four-year cognitive changes.ResultsOut of 1,651 participants, 795 (48.2%) of them had NAFLD in 2015. Cognitive impairment occurred in 241 (14.6%) participants in 2019. Patients with NAFLD had higher 4-year incidence of cognitive impairment than non-NAFLD patients did (17.7 vs. 11.7%, p &lt; 0.001). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed significant association of baseline NAFLD with lower MMSE score in 2019 (β = −0.36, p &lt; 0.05). Multivariable logistic analysis found that the adjusted odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of baseline NAFLD was 1.45 (1.00–2.11) for cognitive impairment in 2019 (p = 0.05). We also identified effects of baseline NAFLD on subsequent cognitive impairment as modified by age (interaction p &lt; 0.01) and carotid stenosis (interaction p = 0.05) but not by gender.ConclusionsNAFLD is associated with cognitive decline, especially in middle-aged and with carotid stenosis population.


2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 567-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali A. Weinstein ◽  
Leyla de Avila ◽  
James Paik ◽  
Pegah Golabi ◽  
Carey Escheik ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Jeniffer Danielle M. Dutra ◽  
Quelson Coelho Lisboa ◽  
Silvia Marinho Ferolla ◽  
Carolina Martinelli M. L. Carvalho ◽  
Camila Costa M. Mendes ◽  
...  

Abstract. Some epidemiological evidence suggests an inverse correlation between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) frequency and vitamin D levels. Likewise, a beneficial effect of vitamin D on diabetes mellitus (DM) and insulin resistance has been observed, but this is an unsolved issue. Thus, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in a NAFLD Brazilian population and its association with disease severity and presence of comorbidities. In a cross-sectional study, the clinical, biochemical and histological parameters of 139 NAFLD patients were evaluated according to two different cut-off points of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (20 ng/mL and 30 ng/mL). The mean age of the population was 56 ± 16 years, most patients were female (83%), 72% had hypertension, 88% dyslipidemia, 46% DM, 98% central obesity, and 82% metabolic syndrome. Serum vitamin D levels were < 30 ng/mL in 78% of the patients, and < 20 ng/mL in 35%. The mean vitamin D level was 24.3 ± 6.8 ng/mL. The comparison between the clinical, biochemical and histological characteristics of the patients according to the levels of vitamin D showed no significant difference. Most patients with NAFLD had hypovitaminosis D, but low vitamin D levels were not related to disease severity and the presence of comorbidities.


2008 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suano de Souza ◽  
Silverio Amancio ◽  
Saccardo Sarni ◽  
Sacchi Pitta ◽  
Fernandes ◽  
...  

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the retinol serum levels, lipid profile, and insulin resistance in overweight/obese children. To relate these biochemical variables with the risk of this disease in the population studied. Methods: The study was cross-sectional and prospective, with 46 overweight/obese school children (28 female, 18 male; mean age 8.6 years). The control group consisted of 45 children, paired by age and gender. Hepatic steatosis, evaluated by ultrasound, was classified as normal, mild, moderate, or severe. Also evaluated were serum retinol levels; thiobarbituric acid reactive substances; lipid profile; and fasting glucose and serum insulin levels, used for the calculation of the Homeostasis Model Assessment. Results: Hepatic ultrasound alterations were found in 56.5% and 48,9% of the overweight/obese and control group children, respectively. Presence of obesity was associated with high levels of triglycerides (OR = 4.6; P = 0.002). In the studied children, the risk of steatosis was related to a trend to a higher percentage of retinol inadequacy (OR = 2.8; p = 0.051); there was no association with thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, lipid profile, or insulin resistance. Conclusions: The high frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in both groups, evaluated by hepatic ultrasound, in low-socioeconomic level children, independent of nutritional condition and without significant association with insulin resistance, emphasizes that especially in developing countries, other risk factors such as micronutrient deficiencies (e.g. vitamin A) are involved.


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