Kim Hak Soo, Cho Yong Kyun
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Korean J Gastroenterol. 2017 Jun 25;69(6):333-340. doi: 10.4166/kjg.2017.69.6.333.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a wide spectrum of diseases that range from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. In addition, the burden of NAFLD is rapidly growing. Previously, NAFLD was regarded as a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome, which is a traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. However, there has been an increasing evidence that suggest NAFLD to be an independent risk factor of CVD. Therefore, currently, NAFLD should be reconsidered as not only a simple manifestation of metabolic syndrome, but also a systemic disease that contribute to CVD. There are some reasonable hypotheses about the relationship between NAFLD and CVD. Moreover, many studies have been performed to better understand this relationship. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanisms and pathogenesis of NAFLD that contribute to CVD have not yet been fully elucidated to date. This review focuses on the underlying mechanisms and relationship between NAFLD and CVD.
非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）包括从单纯性脂肪变性到非酒精性脂肪性肝炎（NASH）和肝硬化等一系列广泛的疾病。此外，NAFLD的负担正在迅速增加。以前，NAFLD被视为代谢综合征的肝脏表现，而代谢综合征是传统的心血管疾病（CVD）危险因素。然而，越来越多的证据表明NAFLD是CVD的独立危险因素。因此，目前，NAFLD不仅应被重新视为代谢综合征的一种简单表现，还应被视为一种导致CVD的全身性疾病。关于NAFLD与CVD之间的关系有一些合理的假说。此外，已经进行了许多研究以更好地理解这种关系。尽管如此，迄今为止，导致CVD的NAFLD的潜在机制和发病机制尚未完全阐明。本综述重点关注NAFLD与CVD之间的潜在机制和关系。
