Association of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Angiographically Proven Cases of Coronary Artery Disease

Background The interplay between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and coronary artery disease is increasingly recognized, drawing attention to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a potential contributor to atherosclerosis. Emerging evidence indicates that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease might be associated with both traditional and novel cardiovascular risk factors. Hence, the present study aimed to determine the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease patients and to assess its association with the coronary artery disease severity. Methods Individuals with secondary causes of hepatic steatosis were excluded. All participants underwent a detailed cardiovascular evaluation, which comprised routine biochemical investigations, viral marker screening, abdominal ultrasonography to grade and assess the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and coronary angiography to identify the severity of arterial involvement. Statistical analysis was carried out using Student’s t -test, analysis of variance, chi-square test, and regression models. Results A total of 531 patients were studied. A total of 405(76.2%) subjects had significant coronary artery disease, and 321(60.4%) had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The number of patients having nonalcoholic fatty liver disease out of coronary artery disease was 77.03%. The mean age group was 57.5 ± 11.4 years. Angiographically proven coronary artery stenosis was strongly associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in a grade-dependent manner, with χ 2 value = 262.08, OR = 0.023, CI = 0.01-0.04, P value = .001 (S). A higher nonalcoholic fatty liver disease grade on ultrasonography was observed with an increasing number of vessels involved. Conclusions Ultrasonographic evidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease independently influences both the occurrence of coronary artery disease and the extent of atherosclerotic involvement.