Dietary advanced glycation end products are associated with an increased risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Iranian adults

BACKGROUND: Dietary advanced glycation end products(AGEs) may contribute to increased inflammation and oxidative stress as risk factors for chronic diseases such as liver disease. In the current study, we aimed to examine the possible association of dietary AGEs with the odds of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Iranian adults. METHODS: A total of 675 participants (225 newly diagnosed NAFLD cases and 450 controls), aged 20–60 years, were recruited for this case-control study. Nutritional data were measured using a validated food frequency questionnaire, and dietary AGEs were determined for all participants. An ultrasound scan of the liver performed the detection of NAFLD in participants of the case group without alcohol consumption and other causes of hepatic disorders. We used logistic regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, to estimate the odds ratios(ORs) and 95% confidence interval(CI) of NAFLD across tertiles of dietary AGEs. RESULTS: Mean ± SD age and body mass index of the participants were 38.13 ± 8.85 years and 26.85 ± 4.31 kg/m(2), respectively. The median(IQR) of dietary AGEs in participants was 3262(2472–4301). In the sex and age-adjusted model, the odds of NAFLD were increased across tertiles of dietary AGEs intake(OR:16.48;95%CI:9.57–28.40, P(trend)<0.001). Also, in the final model, after controlling for confounding effects of BMI, smoking, physical activity, marital status, socio-economic status, and energy intake, the odds of NAFLD were increased across tertiles of dietary AGEs intake(OR:12.16; 95%CI:6.06–24.39, P(trend)<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that greater adherence to dietary pattern with high dietary AGEs intake was significantly related to increased odds of NAFLD.