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. 2020;2(12):2726-2729.
doi: 10.1007/s42399-020-00631-3. Epub 2020 Nov 6.

NAFLD and COVID-19: a Pooled Analysis

Sonali Sachdeva  1 , Harshwardhan Khandait  2 , Jonathan Kopel  3 , Mark M Aloysius  4 , Rupak Desai  5 , Hemant Goyal  4
Affiliations

NAFLD and COVID-19: a Pooled Analysis

Sonali Sachdeva et al. SN Compr Clin Med. 2020.

Abstract

The earliest evidence from China suggested that COVID-19 patients are even more vulnerable to succumbing from complications in the presence of a multimorbid status, including metabolic syndrome. Due to ongoing metabolic abnormalities, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) appears to be a potential risk factor for contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection and developing related complications. This is because of the interplay of chronically active inflammatory pathways in NAFLD- and COVID-19-associated acute cytokine storm. The risk of severe disease could also be attributed to compromised liver function as a result of NAFLD. We systematically reviewed current literature to ascertain the relationship between NAFLD and severe COVID-19, independent of obesity, which is considered the major factor risk factor for both NAFLD and COVID-19. We found that NAFLD is a predictor of severe COVID-19, even after adjusting for the presence of obesity (OR 2.358; 95% CI: 1.902-2.923, p < 0.001).

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Fatty liver; MAFLD; NAFLD; SARS-CoV-2.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study flow chart
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Pooled odds ratio for severe COVID-19
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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