Assessment of Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Young Adults with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

There is strong evidence that, in addition to increasing the risk of cirrhosis as well as hepatocellular carcinoma, nonalcoholic liver disease represents an independent risk factor for different diseases including cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease and also type 2 diabetes. Objective: to assess whether nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle, independent of other classic risk factors. Methods: we included 79 patients aged 15-45, diagnosed with non-alcoholic liver disease, and a group of 80 healthy people in the same age group. We assessed left ventricular diastolic function using Doppler pulsed wave transmitral flow and Tissue Doppler Imaging methods. Results: there were lower velocities of E and e’ wave, a decrease in E/A ratio and an increase in E/e’ ratio in the group of patients with hepatic steatosis and in those with associated diabetes compared to the control group, but not the same was observed when comparing patients with steatosis alone vs. hepatic steatosis and associated diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: nonalcoholic steatosis is linked to echocardiographic features of early diastolic dysfunction that are present in patients suffering from diabetes.