NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE (NAFLD): A NEW CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTOR

Abstract

Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects nearly one-third of the world population and may increase the cardiometabolic risk, having cardiovascular consequences independently of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and of insulin resistance syndrome. NAFLD is a marker of ectopic accumulation of fat combined with a chronic inflammatory status. This leads to modification of physiological processes, such as abnormal glucose metabolism, changes in the fatty acids and lipoproteins, increased oxidative stress, changing the profile of adipokines, endothelial dysfunction and accelerated progression of atherosclerosis. It eventually leads to cardiometabolic dysfunction with cardiovascular mortality, representing the most important way of premature death in NAFLD. This review aims to introduce the notion of NAFLD to cardiologist clinicians, highlighting the link between NAFLD and cardiovascular risk, and the possible mechanisms underlying this association.