Fatty Liver Linked to Heart Disease

Fatty liver disease is linked to heart failure, according to an article published online in Radiology. Researchers assessed data on liver, heart function, and BMI from 714 participants from the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study. An increase in fat in the liver resulted in decreased coronary blood flow in obese participants despite any pre-existing symptoms of metabolic syndrome. These findings suggest that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease may pose a greater risk for heart failure above and beyond the risk factors already associated with metabolic syndrome and stresses the importance of dietary interventions as a means for prevention.