Association of Hepatic Steatosis With Coronary Artery Disease by Studying the Role of Individual and Demographic Risk Factors

Background In this study, we aimed to explore the possible association between hepatic steatosis (HS) and coronary artery disease (CAD) by calculating the patients’ calcium scores and comparing clinical and laboratory parameters of patients in King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The role of risk factors associated with HS was also assessed. Methodology The medical records of 79 patients who underwent coronary cardiac computed tomography (CT) for calcium scoring and enhanced or non-enhanced CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis at the Department of Radiology, KAMC, Makkah, KSA, between April 2012 and April 2013 were collected and analyzed. Results The overall prevalence of HS was 32.9%. Gender, age, and body mass index were significantly associated with HS. Low-dose unenhanced CT is a promising screening test for the determination of HS. A severe grade of calcium score was significantly associated with HS, while hypertension had no significant relation with HS. Biomarkers such as blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, cholesterol, and triglycerides had a significant association with HS, while other liver function tests and lipid profile values did not have a significant association. Bilirubin was significantly higher in non-fatty liver than in fatty liver. Furthermore, higher grades of calcium score were significantly associated with fatty liver in non-hypertensive and non-diabetic patients. Conclusions CAD is closely associated with HS. Moreover, diabetes mellitus and hypertension play a critical role in the development of HS.