A Cross Sectional Study of the Relationship between the Presence / Severity of Coronary Artery Disease Evaluated by Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography and the Presence / Degree of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Evaluated by Trans- Abdominal Ultrasonography

Abstract

N onalcoholic fatty liver disease, once thought to be an insignificant finding, is now considered to be a growing public health problem worldwide; an important syndrome associated with several cardiovascular risk factors and to be a component of metabolic syndrome. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients are often prone to coronary artery disease, and coronary artery disease is found to be the main cause of death in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients. The clinical impact of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on coronary artery disease risk deserves particular attention in viewing of the implications for screening and surveillance strategies in the growing number of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients. However, it is not currently known whether improving non-alcoholic fatty liver disease will prevent the development and progression of coronary artery disease. Moreover, the prognostic value of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in coronary artery disease risk stratification has yet to be determined. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients should be candidates not only for aggressive treatment of their liver disease, but also for aggressive treatment of underlying coronary artery disease risk factors, because many patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease will have major coronary artery disease events and die prior to the development of advanced liver disease.