Fatty liver patients are known to be at risk for cardiovascular disease (stroke, myocardial infarction, etc.). However, there are no large studies comparing the risk of cardiovascular disease in this type of patient compared to the general population. To carry out this comparative study, all patients diagnosed with fatty liver between 1970 and 2016 were identified in the Swedish National Registry of Patients. A total of 9,639 patients with fatty liver and 91,495 controls were included, all of them with a 6-year clinical follow-up.
It was found that 1,091 patients with fatty liver (11%) suffered from cardiovascular disease, while this only occurred in 4.2% of the controls. Among patients with fatty liver, those with liver cirrhosis were at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. In addition, life expectancy was 2.5 years lower in men and 1.7 years in women compared to controls.
In this work it is found that patients with fatty liver disease, especially if they have cirrhosis, have a higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease than the general population.
