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Review
. 2014 Jul;9(1):10-15.
doi: 10.15420/ecr.2014.9.1.10.

The Role of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Cardiovascular Disease

Sven M Francque  1
Affiliations
Review

The Role of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Cardiovascular Disease

Sven M Francque. Eur Cardiol. 2014 Jul.

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most prevalent chronic liver disease in western countries and is closely related to the metabolic syndrome. When NAFLD is associated with hepatocellular damage and inflammation (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH]) it can lead to severe liver disease. However, it has become clear that NAFLD is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), independently of classical known risk factors for the latter. In the current review we briefly summarise the current clinical evidence on the role of NAFLD in CVD and discuss the potential mechanisms by which NAFLD can be linked to the pathophysiology of CVD.

Keywords: cardiovascular events; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; pathophysiology; steatosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:. Schematic Overview of the Mechanisms that may Link Indirectly or Directly the Liver Affected by Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease to Alterations in the Cardiovascular System
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