Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Sep;19(3):315-326.
doi: 10.1007/s11901-020-00530-0. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Cardiovascular Disease in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: Screening and Management

Affiliations

Cardiovascular Disease in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: Screening and Management

Hersh Shroff et al. Curr Hepatol Rep. 2020 Sep.

Abstract

Purpose of review: The global burden of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) as a major cause of chronic liver disease continues to rise. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in this patient population. The current review summarizes recent advances in the understanding of CVD in NASH and strategies for screening and management.

Recent findings: Large genetic epidemiological studies support the intricate role of the metabolic syndrome in the pathophysiology of CVD risk in patients with NASH. Atherosclerotic CVD risk scores can predict elevated CV risk in NASH, but additional work is necessary to refine risk stratification and to guide optimal management. New antidiabetic agents may offer benefit in treating steatosis and reducing CV morbidity in NASH.

Summary: Achieving improved outcomes in patients with NASH requires that future efforts focus on optimizing methods for CVD screening and designing clinical trials with long-term cardiovascular endpoints in mind.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; cardiovascular disease; cirrhosis; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest Dr. Shroff has no conflicts to disclose. Dr. VanWagner reports grants and personal fees from W.L. Gore & Associates, personal fees from Gilead Sciences, personal fees from Salix Pharmaceuticals, and non-financial support from AMRA Medical, outside the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1 –
Figure 1 –
Pathophysiologic mechanisms linking hepatic steatosis to CVD

References

    1. Collaboration NCDRF. Trends in adult body-mass index in 200 countries from 1975 to 2014: a pooled analysis of 1698 population-based measurement studies with 19.2 million participants. Lancet. 2016;387(10026):1377–96. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30054-X. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Paik JM, Golabi P, Younossi Y, Mishra A, Younossi ZM. Changes in the Global Burden of Chronic Liver Diseases From 2012 to 2017: The Growing Impact of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Hepatology. 2020. doi:10.1002/hep.31173. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chalasani N, Younossi Z, Lavine JE, Charlton M, Cusi K, Rinella M et al. The diagnosis and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Practice guidance from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Hepatology. 2018;67(1):328–57. doi:10.1002/hep.29367. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wong RJ, Aguilar M, Cheung R, Perumpail RB, Harrison SA, Younossi ZM et al. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is the second leading etiology of liver disease among adults awaiting liver transplantation in the United States. Gastroenterology. 2015;148(3):547–55. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2014.11.039. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Targher G, Byrne CD, Lonardo A, Zoppini G, Barbui C. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and risk of incident cardiovascular disease: A meta-analysis. J Hepatol. 2016;65(3):589–600. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2016.05.013. - DOI - PubMed
    2. This meta-analysis convincingly demonstrated the increased incidence of CV events in individuals with NAFLD while suggesting a lack of assocation with CV mortality, a finding that was subsequently supported by mulitple other investiagtions.

LinkOut - more resources