Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is strongly and independently associated with an increased risk of new-onset heart failure, with the magnitude of risk paralleling the severity of liver fibrosis.
Does nonalcoholic fatty liver disease increase the risk of new-onset heart failure?
NAFLD is strongly and independently associated with an increased risk of new-onset heart failure, driven by accelerated atherosclerosis, cardiac remodeling, and arrhythmias.
Heart failure (HF) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are 2 conditions that have become important global public health problems. Emerging evidence supports a strong and independent association between NAFLD and the risk of new-onset HF, and there are multiple potential pathophysiological mechanisms by which NAFLD may increase risk of new-onset HF. The magnitude of this risk parallels the underlying severity of NAFLD, especially the level of liver fibrosis. Patients with NAFLD develop accelerated coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial alterations (mainly cardiac remodeling and hypertrophy), and certain arrhythmias (mainly atrial fibrillation), which may precede and promote the development of new-onset HF. This brief narrative review aims to provide an overview of the association between NAFLD and increased risk of new-onset HF, discuss the underlying mechanisms that link these 2 diseases, and summarize targeted pharmacological treatments for NAFLD that might also reduce the risk of HF.
Mantovani et al. (Sat,) conducted a review in Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and heart failure. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is strongly and independently associated with an increased risk of new-onset heart failure, with the magnitude of risk paralleling the severity of liver fibrosis.