Hormonal
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is independently associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality, particularly in patients with advanced fibrosis or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
If you have NAFLD, you must prioritize cardiovascular health. Regular screening for blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar is essential, even if your liver feels fine. The presence of fatty liver is a strong warning sign for heart disease, so aggressive management of metabolic risk factors is required to reduce mortality.
Growing evidence indicates that patients with NAFLD are at substantial risk for the development of hypertension, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and cardiac arrhythmias, which clinically result in increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Why this rating
Based on multiple meta-analyses of observational studies showing consistent increased risk, though heterogeneity exists.
Source
NAFLD and cardiovascular diseases: a clinical review
Philipp Kasper et al. · Clinical Research in Cardiology · 2020
DOI 10.1007/s00392-020-01709-7
More from this paper
- The pathophysiological link between NAFLD and CVD is driven by systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and atherogenic dyslipidemia (specifically high ApoC3 and small dense LDL) resulting from hepatic fat accumulation and insulin resistance.Strong
- NAFLD is associated with an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias, specifically atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.Good
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