Cardiac Abnormalities in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Echocardiographic and Tissue Doppler Imaging Assessment

Background: Triglycerides cause liver fat buildup. Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has a prevalence of 25.24%. Metabolic syndrome connects both NAFLD and heart disease. Imaging aids detection, understanding, and early intervention. Objectives: To detect cardiovascular abnormalities in NAFLD patients, focusing on the effects of metabolic syndrome on Left ventricle (LV) geometry and function. Patients and methods: This study is a cross-sectional study from March 2022 to March 2023 involving 100 NAFLD patients (20-60 yrs). Exclusion: age <20 or >60, severe liver disorders, alcoholic fatty liver, hepatitis B/C, active malignancy. Medical history, physical exam, lab (coagulation, liver enzymes, lipid profile, HbA1c, and CBC), radiological (echocardiogram, abdominal ultrasonography, and FibroScan). Results: The majority had mild NAFLD grade (56%), 38% moderate, and 6% marked. Ejection Fraction positively linked to mild grade, negative to moderate. LSM negatively correlated with mild, positively with marked grades. Body Mass Index is positively related to severely fatty liver. AST, ALT uncorrelated; albumin correlated with grades. LDL positively correlated with mild, negatively with moderate, and marked grades. TG positively correlated with mild, negatively with marked grade; TC negatively with moderate, positively with marked grade. HbA1C negatively correlated with mild, positively with marked grade. Platelet count negatively connected with mild, positively with a moderate grade. Conclusion: Cardiac motion abnormalities linked to higher fatty liver grades suggest a potential link between NAFLD and cardiac dysfunction . Positive correlations between ejection fraction and mild fatty liver grades suggest protective effects in early-stage NAFLD detection, while negative correlations suggest declining cardiac function with disease progression.