Impact of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease: A Matched Case–Control Study

Whether non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with cardiovascular risk has still been controversial. The reasons for this disparity may be associated with subject selection, events definition, diagnostic criteria of NAFLD, or research methods. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of NAFLD to cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes in patients with stable, new-onset coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: A matched case–control study based on the cohort with stable, new-onset CAD was implemented in 162 cases (patients who developed all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and stroke during an average of 11,484 patient-years of follow-up) and 162 controls without cardiovascular events matched with the same sex, the age difference ≤3 years old, and the admission date within 3 months. Abdominal ultrasonography and coronary angiography were performed at admission. COX proportional hazard models and conditional logistic regression analysis were used to assess the effect of NAFLD on CVD outcomes. RESULTS: NAFLD was more common in the event group than in the control group (P = 0.012). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significant association between NAFLD and CVD outcomes (P = 0.007). Moreover, Cox regression (hazard ratios 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–2.34, P = 0.031) and conditional logistic regression (odds ratio 2.72, 95% confidence interval, 1.16–6.39, P = 0.022) analyses further demonstrated that NAFLD was an independent risk factor for CVD outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: NAFLD is indeed an independent predictor of CVD outcomes in patients with stable, new-onset CAD. Further randomized controlled trials may be needed to confirm our findings.