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Liver disease increases risk of heart problems

Category: Liver Diseases

A liver panel test could be important for assessing more than just liver health. New research indicates that people who have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) face an increased of developing cardiovascular and metabolic problems.

NAFLD is mainly caused by obesity, which is recognized as a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. Therefore, the findings may appear to suggest that obesity is the common link between the three conditions. However, the researchers found that the presence of liver disease is independently associated with cardio-metabolic complications.

In the study, researchers tracked the health records of nearly 2,500 NAFLD patients over the course of 14 years and compared the data to records of healthy individuals. The results showed that liver disease patients were 23 percent more likely to develop heart disease. However, they were no more likely to die from cardiovascular problems during the study period.

The findings suggest that individuals should monitor their liver health. This could play an important role in avoiding future cardiovascular problems. Results from the study underscore how interconnected these health systems can be.