Study of Correlation of Bone Mineral Density with Severity of Liver Cirrhosis.

INTRODUCTION: Liver cirrhosis is a common ailment that is widely prevalent in our country and across the world. There are several manifestations of this disease. Metabolic bone disease also has an association with cirrhosis. The present study was designed to study the correlation between bone mineral density (BMD) and the severity of liver cirrhosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a case-control study. A total of 35 diagnosed cases of liver cirrhosis and 35 age and sex-matched controls were included in the study. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at the hip joint and lumbar spine. Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score was used for assessing the severity of liver cirrhosis. RESULTS: Out of the 35 cases of cirrhosis, 25 had either osteopenia or osteoporosis. The mean T-score at the hip joint in cases was -1.47 ± 1.62 and in controls, it was -0.56 ± 1.67 (p < 0.001). The mean T-score detected in the lumbar spine was -1.33 ± 1.66 and in controls -0.41 ± 1.67 (p < 0.001). There was a significant inverse correlation between CTP scores and BMD. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that abnormal BMD is highly prevalent in patients with liver cirrhosis. There is also a significant relationship between the severity of cirrhosis and BMD.

Study of Endothelial Dysfunction by Flow Mediated Vasodilation in Individuals with Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia.

INTRODUCTION: Asymptomatic hyperuricemia is a condition where the serum uric acid levels are elevated but the individual does not have any sign or symptoms of gout or renal stones. The relationship of hyperuricemia with hypertension, diabetes and chronic kidney disease is established. There are studies which show an association of hyperuricemia with endothelial dysfunction thus increasing the cardiovascular risk in these individuals. We therefore undertook this study to observe endothelial dysfunction in individuals of asymptomatic hyperuricemia. METHODOLOGY: This was a case control study where 40 individuals with asymptomatic hyperuricemia and 40 age and sex matched healthy controls with normal serum uric acid levels were included. Endothelial function was studied by flow mediated vasodilation in the brachial artery. RESULTS: The mean age of cases was 45.03±16.44 years while that of control subjects was 44.70±14.31. There were 22 females and 18 males among the cases while there were 24 females and 16 males among the controls. The mean serum uric acid level in cases was 7.27±1.13 mg% while that of controls was 4.52±1.05 mg%. The FMD was 5.57±1.39% in cases while it was 7.73±1.56% in controls and this difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that significant endothelial dysfunction is present in individuals of asymptomatic hyperuricemia in comparison to healthy age and sex matched controls.