Gild P, et al. - Experts estimated the impact of androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer on developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition frequently co-occurring with metabolic syndrome, and other subsequent liver conditions (liver cirrhosis, hepatic necrosis, and liver disease). In men with prostate cancer, androgen deprivation therapy was related to diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Methods

• Authors identified 82,938 men aged 66 and older diagnosed with localized prostate cancer within the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results- Medicare database, 1992-2009.
• They excluded the men with pre-existing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
• The risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease between men who received androgen deprivation was compared with those who did not receive it using propensity score adjusted Competing-risk regression models.
• Researchers estimated the impact of cumulative exposure to androgen deprivation therapy, calculated as monthly equivalent doses of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists/antagonists (<7, 7– 11, >11 doses).

Results

• As per the data, overall, androgen deprivation therapy was received by 37.5% of men.
• Findings suggested that these were more likely to be diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (hazard ratio [HR] 1.54, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.40-1.68), liver cirrhosis (HR 1.35, 95 % CI 1.12 -1.60), liver necrosis (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.15-1.72) and any liver disease (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.35-1.60).
• Between the number of doses of androgen deprivation therapy, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and any liver disease, experts noted a dose-response relationship.