Association between fatty liver disease and lacunar infarction

Objective To investigate whether fatty liver disease is a risk factor for lacunar infarction. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 457 patients with lacunar infarction (lacunar infarction group) and 120 control patients, who were hospitalized in our hospital from 2007 to 2017, to analyze whether fatty liver disease is a risk factor for lacunar infarction. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, and the t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to screen out the risk factors for lacunar infarction. Results The lacunar infarction group had a significantly higher incidence rate of fatty liver disease than the control group (60. 39% vs 39. 17%, χ2= 17. 379, P < 0. 001) .The multivariate regression analysis showed that after adjustment for age, sex, smoking, drinking, hypertension, and diabetes, fatty liver disease was an independent risk factor for lacunar infarction (odds ratio [OR]= 1. 96, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1. 21-3. 02, P =0. 003) . There was a significant interaction between obesity and fatty liver disease (P = 0. 001) . Non-obese fatty liver disease was an independent risk factor for lacunar infarction (OR = 3. 29, 95% CI: 1. 55-7. 23, P < 0. 001) ; however, in the obese subgroup, obese fatty liver disease was not an independent risk factor for lacunar infarction (P = 0. 532) , Age (OR = 6. 67, 95% CI: 1. 98 ～ 121. 56, P < 0. 001) , hypertension (OR = 6. 38, 95% CI: 5. 12 ～ 12. 06, P < 0. 001) were independent risk factors for lacunar infarction. Conclusion Non-obese fatty liver disease is an independent risk factor for lacunar infarction.