One in four adults has undiagnosed liver disease, putting them at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a recent study.
- A specialized ultrasound that measures liver elasticity, fat, and liver stiffness can detect NAFLD.
- This type of liver ultrasound is a non-invasive way to help diagnose and monitor treatment for NAFLD and NASH, but it is still underused.
Hepatic steatosis, cirrhosis, Wilson’s disease… People who are affected by these pathologies are more likely to develop heart disease, according to work published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology April 14. According to researchers from the American Heart Association, one in four people worldwide have an abnormal buildup of fat in the liver, called fatty liver disease, without knowing it.
“Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition that often goes unnoticed or undetected during routine medical care. It is important to be aware of this disease and to treat it promptly, as it is a risk factor chronic liver damage and cardiovascular diseases”, said P. Barton Duell, professor of medicine at the Knight Cardiovascular Institute, in a statement.
What is the connection with heart disease?
According to scientists, heart disease is the leading cause of death in people with NAFLD. These diseases share many of the same risk factors, including metabolic syndrome (high blood sugar and triglycerides, increased abdominal fat, and high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, glucose intolerance, and obesity. “However, people with liver disease have a higher risk of heart disease than those with the same risk factors for cardiovascular disease without liver disease,” the authors said.
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