Fat accumulation in the liver increases risk of heart failure
The presence of a nonalcoholic fatty liver is associated with an increased risk, according to a recent study, within the next decade cardiac insufficiency to develop. Fatty liver seems to have been underestimated so far risk factor for heart failure to be.
The editors of the renowned “British Medical Journal (BMJ)” present the results of an Italian research team University of Verona before. The working group brought together the results of 11 international long-term follow-up studies to Association between fatty liver disease and cardiac insufficiency to clarify. The study was recently published in the journal “Gut“ published.
Fatty liver disease is common
Around 30 percent of all adults worldwide are said to have already developed fatty liver. Due to the general increase in the prevalence of obesity and obesitywhich are among the greatest risk factors for the development of fatty liver, an increasing trend in fatty liver diseases is expected in the next few years.
Fatty liver as a previously unknown risk factor for cardiac insufficiency
Diabetes, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors are considered to be the main causes for the development of heart failure. The latest meta-analysis suggests that fatty liver also increases the risk of cardiac insufficiency elevated. Due to the widespread spread of fatty liver disease, the findings could be of great medical relevance.
It was previously known that fatty liver increases the risk of serious liver diseases, such as liver cancer, liver cirrhosis and liver fibrosis. Fatty liver has only recently been associated with the development of heart failure.
course of the study
To check the connection, the research team analyzed data collected as part of eleven long-term studies. In this way, information from more than eleven million adults from different countries could be evaluated. The studies were conducted in Sweden, Finland, USA, South Korea and Great Britain.
Just over one in four people involved (26 percent) had fatty liver. Heart failure was diagnosed in almost 100,000 participants over an average follow-up period of ten years.
Results of the study
For those who had already developed fatty liver at the start of the study, it was 50 percent higher riskthat over the course of ten years heart failure was diagnosed compared to those who did not have fatty accumulations in the liver.
This risk was independent of the age, gender and body fat percentage of the subjects. Likewise, the excess risk was independent of the presence of other known risk factors for heart failure, such as diabetes and hypertension.
The risk of heart failure associated with fatty liver also appears to increase with the severity of fatty liver disease. In people who had already developed fibrosis (scarred tissue) in the liver, the risk of heart failure was increased by 76 percent.
Why a fatty liver could lead to heart failure
The researchers have several possible explanations for why fatty liver could increase the risk of heart failure. For one, fatty liver exacerbates the systemic insulin resistance and on the other hand it promotes Plaque formation in the blood vessels.
In addition, if there is a fatty liver, more substances are released in the body that promote inflammation and a blood thickening effect to have. However, the exact reasons for the connection and causality must first be checked and confirmed in further studies. (vb)
Author and source information
This text corresponds to the specifications of medical specialist literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been checked by medical professionals.
Author:
Graduate editor (FH) Volker Blasek
Sources:
- Alessandro Mantovani, Graziana Petracca, Alessandro Csermely, et al.: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and risk of new-onset heart failure: an updated meta-analysis of about 11 million individuals; in: Gut (2022), gut.bmj.com
- BMJ Media Relations: Fat build-up in liver (NAFLD) linked to heightened heart failure risk over next decade (veröffentlicht: 25.07.2022), eurekalert.org
Important NOTE:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. He can not substitute a visit at the doctor.