| Summary: | Evidence suggests a close connection between Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver
Disease (NAFLD) and increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. Several
cross-sectional studies report that NAFLD is related to preclinical
atherosclerotic damage, and to coronary, cerebral and peripheral vascular events.
Similar results have been showed by prospective studies and also by meta-analyzes
on observational studies. The pathophysiological mechanisms of NAFLD are related
to insulin resistance, which causes a dysfunction in adipokine production,
especially adiponectin, from adipose tissue. A proinflammatory state and an
increase in oxidative stress, due to increased reacting oxygen species (ROS) formation with consequent oxidation of free fatty acids and increased de
novo lipogenesis with accumulation of triglycerides, are observed. These
mechanisms may have an impact on atherosclerotic plaque formation and
progression, and they can lead to increased cardiovascular risk in subjects with
NAFLD. This review extensively discusses and comments current and
developing NAFLD therapies and their possible impact on cardiovascular outcome.
|
|---|
