Effect of vitamin D supplementation on cardiometabolic risk factors in young men with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

The purpose — to study the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the components of the metabolic syndrome, stage of steatosis and liver fibrosis in young men with and without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Material and methods. The prospective study included 123 young male patients. Participants were divided into two groups: group I — persons with hepatic steatosis (n = 91), group II — persons without hepatic steatosis (n = 32). Patients in each group were divided into two subgroups (a and b): receiving (a) and not receiving (b) cholecalciferol. All persons who applied for an outpatient appointment underwent an anamnesis, measurement of blood pressure, assessment of anthropometric parameters, physical examination, biochemical analysis of blood on an empty stomach, and the level of 25(OH)D in blood serum was determined. The degreeы of steatosis and fibrosis were verified by liver elastometry. Results. Analysis of vitamin D availability in young men showed the predominance of its deficiency in the group of men with NAFLD in comparison with their peers without liver pathology. The normal level of 25(OH)D against the background of hepatic steatosis was 7 times less common. With the normalization of the level of vitamin D in the group with NAFLD and reaching its level of 49.05 ng/ml, the level of fasting insulin, the HOMA-IR index, the level of AST, and the degree of liver steatosis reliably decreased. Upon reaching the level of vitamin D up to 52.8 ng/ml in persons without NAFLD, the level of fasting glucose and total cholesterol significantly decreased. Conclusion. Timely detection of insufficient supply of vitamin D and its normalization in young men with NAFLD and in its absence allows implementing a strategy for the primary prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.