Association between the degree of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nocturnal hypertension

Nighttime blood pressure (BP) decreases have prognostic significance owing to circadian patterns. The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has rapidly increased in recent years. We aimed to investigate circadian blood pressure changes in patients with NAFLD. The present study included 114 patients diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and no previous hypertension diagnosis. Thirty patients comprised the control group (no hepatosteatosis and no hypertension). The patients were divided into 3 groups based on nocturnal BP dipping. Blood pressure patterns using night-day ratios were classified as dipper (ratio ≤ 0, 9), nondipper (0, 9 < ratio ≤ 1, 0), or nocturnal hypertension (ratio > 1, 0). There were no significant differences in sex, age, presence of diabetes, or biochemical test results between the groups. According to the blood pressure pattern, the nondipper rate in the hepatosteatosis group was significantly higher than that in the control group. Patients were compared in terms of the presence and severity of hepatosteatosis according to night blood pressure patterns. A significant difference was observed between the groups (P < .001 and P = .001, respectively). We found an association between hepatosteatosis severity and night blood pressure patterns. Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have a higher incidence of nocturnal hypertension. We observed impaired circadian blood pressure changes in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.