Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Cardiovascular Disease: a Review of Shared Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Abstract

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is rising. NAFLD/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated not only with hepatic morbidity and mortality but also with an increased cardiovascular risk. NAFLD and cardiovascular disease (CVD) share several risk factors, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. This review summarizes the evidence linking cardiometabolic risk factors and NAFLD in the context of risk for CVD. The cause of NAFLD/NASH is complex, involving a range of factors from genetics to lifestyle and energy balance. Genetically driven high liver fat content does not appear to be causally associated with increased CVD risk. In contrast, metabolic dysfunction not only predisposes to liver pathology but also leads to a significantly higher CVD risk. Given that NAFLD pathophysiology is influenced by multiple factors, each patient is unique as to their risk of developing CVD and liver pathology. At the same time, the rising burden of NAFLD/NASH is closely linked with the global increase in metabolic disorders, including obesity and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, both personalized therapeutic approaches that recognize individual pathophysiology, as well as public health policies that address the root causes of cardiometabolic risk factors for NAFLD may be needed to effectively address the NAFLD/NASH epidemic.