Diabetes, Plasma Glucose, and Incidence of Fatty Liver, Cirrhosis, and Liver Cancer: A Prospective Study of 0.5 Million People

• DOI: 10.1002/hep.30083
• Publication Date: 2018-05-07T16:59:20Z
• Authors: Yuanjie Pang; Christiana Kartso...; Iain Turnbull; Yu Guo; Robert Clarke; Yiping Chen; Fiona Bragg; Ling Yang; Zheng Bian; Iona Y. Millwood; Juanzhi Hao; Xianyong Han; Yajing Zang; Junshi Chen; Liming Li; Michael V. Holmes; Zhengming Chen
• Keywords: Adult; Blood Glucose; Liver Cirrhosis; Male; China; Comorbidity; Risk Assessment; Cohort Studies; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Prevalence; Humans; Prospective Studies; Aged; Proportional Hazards Models; Liver Neoplasms; Age Factors; Original Articles; Middle Aged; 16. Peace & justice; 3. Good health; Hospitalization; Female

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing rapidly in China. However, evidence is limited about its effects on chronic liver diseases and liver cancer. We examined the associations of diabetes with chronic liver diseases and liver cancer and of random plasma glucose (RPG) with these liver diseases among participants without diabetes in Chinese adults and the possible interaction by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The prospective China Kadoorie Biobank recruited 512,891 adults. During 10 years of follow‐up, 2,568 liver cancer, 2,082 cirrhosis, 1,298 hospitalized nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and 244 hospitalized alcoholic liver disease (ALD) cases were recorded among 503,993 participants without prior history of cancer or chronic liver diseases at baseline. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for each disease by diabetes status (previously diagnosed or screen‐detected) and, among those without previously diagnosed diabetes, by levels of RPG. Overall 5.8% of participants had diabetes at baseline. Compared to those without diabetes, individuals with diabetes had adjusted HRs of 1.49 (95% confidence interval 1.30‐1.70) for liver cancer, 1.81 (1.57‐2.09) for cirrhosis, 1.76 (1.47‐2.16) for NAFLD, and 2.24 (1.42‐3.54) for ALD. The excess risks decreased but remained elevated in those with longer duration. Among those without previously diagnosed diabetes, RPG was positively associated with liver diseases, with adjusted HRs per 1 mmol/L higher RPG of 1.04 (1.03‐1.06) for liver cancer, 1.07 (1.05‐1.09) for cirrhosis, 1.07 (1.05‐1.10) for NAFLD, and 1.10 (1.05‐1.15) for ALD. These associations did not differ by HBV infection. Conclusion: In Chinese adults, diabetes and higher blood glucose levels among those without known diabetes are associated with higher risks of liver cancer and major chronic liver diseases.