In the modern medical system, the division of disciplines is becoming more and more refined, and some experts, even lifelong research, only 1 disease, therefore, in addition to general medicine and preventive medicine, cross-border things, it is rare. However, recently, the American Heart Association AHA has issued a rare statement calling for attention to the harm of non-alcoholic fatty liver to the heart, and listing fatty liver as an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. Why? The liver is a digestive organ, fatty liver is a metabolic disease, why is it highly valued by professional associations in the cardiovascular field? Let's explain the main points for you now.
The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, abbreviated as NAFLD, is rising rapidly worldwide, with a prevalence of about 25% and as high as 56% in some areas, and 1 in every two or three adults is a NAFLD patient. This disease can manifest itself as a mild course of simple steatosis, can also cause hepatitis, and then, develop cirrhosis of the liver, and even liver cancer. Studies have shown that NAFLD is driven by metabolic syndrome and is associated with obesity, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, and is also a risk factor for ARTEROSCLVD such as coronary heart disease.
The American Heart Association recently issued a statement that the latest research results confirm that liver fibrosis and complications lead to increased all-cause mortality, and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with NAFLD. Fatty liver disease increases the risk of coronary heart disease, and the risk of diabetes and hypertension is significantly higher, leading to the risk of ASCVD-related death.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can be divided into primary and secondary. Primary NAFLD is mainly associated with genetic susceptibility and insulin resistance, while secondary NAFLD is caused by certain specific causes. It is important to note that although NAFLD occurs more often in obese people, NAFLD can also occur in people of normal or thin weight, and there is a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This condition is more common in people who blindly lose weight and cause nutritional imbalances. Therefore, remind everyone to pay attention to that not being fat, and even constantly trying to lose weight, there will also be NAFLD, regular physical examination, in order to be found in time.
Recently, a new study revealed a significant correlation between serum uric acid levels and the risk of NAFLD. UrIC acid value and HDL-C ratio UHR, is the diagnosis of liver steatosis indicators, especially in people with normal blood lipid levels, not overweight or obesity, through UHR, this simple and inexpensive test method, can timely assess the risk of NAFLD. Ordinary people should be alerted to the fact that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is manifested by metabolic imbalance and excessive accumulation of fat in the liver, which are associated with insulin resistance, inflammatory responses, and damage to the cardiovascular system.
Studies have shown that insulin resistance is a necessary condition for fat accumulation, which can cause fat accumulation in the liver, and also cause abnormal aggregation of fat cells around the heart, secreting adipokines, causing impaired function of vascular endothelial cells, thereby destroying the vascular wall structure of microvascular vessels. Insulin resistance, also known as arterial hypertension, increases cardiovascular risk. Inflammatory factors that cause changes in the structure and function of the heart. In patients with NAFLD, inflammatory markers in the blood, such as elevated C-reactive protein levels, can lead to inflammation of the vascular endothelium and heart failure, resulting in impaired cardiac diastolic function and elevated filling pressure. These lesions require active response. Therefore, it is recommended that patients with NAFLD should understand the structural morphology and function changes of the heart in time through echocardiography, MRI and other examinations.
The American Heart Association statement states that NAFLD should be intervened, with the main measures being abstinence from alcohol, healthy eating, increased exercise, and lifestyle changes. At the same time, some lipid-lowering drugs, such as liraglutide, somaglutide, pioglitazone, etc., have shown potential therapeutic effects, but have not yet obtained relevant clinical application approvals. In addition, studies have shown that weight loss of 5% to 10% helps to reverse liver steatosis in some patients, stabilize or reduce hepatitis, improve insulin sensitivity, control blood sugar levels, and reduce triglycerides, which is an important measure to reduce the harm of cardiovascular disease. These findings remind everyone that the prevention and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease should be paid attention to, and that there is a need to change the understanding, because fatty liver not only hurts the liver, but also hurts the heart.
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