Optimal Vitamin D levels may help prevent development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

A recent study suggest the importance of maintaining optimal vitamin D levels to help prevent the development of steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The findings of this study were published in the Journal of Endokrynologia Polska.

Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient that has a range of health benefits, including its role in maintaining healthy bones and overall immune system function. However, its impact on steatosis, a condition characterized by the buildup of excess fat in the liver, has not been fully explored. In this study, researchers aimed to examine the relationship between vitamin D status and steatosis in a large-scale population-based cohort.

The study included patients diagnosed with either simple steatosis or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), who had 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) measurements at the time of their diagnosis. A control group was also included, consisting of subjects without liver diseases. The study recorded age, gender, 25OHD levels, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels.

The key highlights of the study were:

25OHD levels were lower and ALT levels were higher in the patient group compared to the control group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a decrease in 25OHD levels by 1 ng/dL increased the risk of being in the patient group by 3.7%.

In conclusion, the results from this study suggest that there may be a weak relationship between vitamin D status and the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Further research is required to fully understand this relationship and its potential implications for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

Source:

Dal, K., Uzman, M., Ata, N., Ertugrul, D. T., Bursa, N., Caglayan, M., Baser, S., Akkan, T., Imrat, E., Celik, O., Ulgu, M. M., Sahin, M., & Birinci, S. (2023). The effect of vitamin D status on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a population-based observational study. In Endokrynologia Polska. VM Media SP. zo.o VM Group SK. https://doi.org/10.5603/ep.a2023.0002