Introduction
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, it remains unclear which individuals with NAFLD are at a higher risk of developing CVD.
Method
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 164 patients with NAFLD, of whom 29 had cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 135 did not. The diagnosis of NAFLD was based on ultrasonography. The NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS) was calculated for all patients, and the two groups were compared.
Results
The NFS cutoff point was determined to be -0.87. Patients with CVD had significantly higher mean age compared to non-CVD patients (p < 0.001), and the prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia was also significantly higher in these patients (p < 0.001). Additionally, the mean NFS score in CVD patients was significantly higher than in the non-CVD group (-1.71 ± 0.59 vs. -1.50 ± 1.34, p = 0.019). However, multivariate analysis showed that advanced age, fasting blood glucose in the range of 100-125 mg/dL, and hypertension were identified as independent factors associated with CVD, while the NFS score alone did not show a significant association with CVD.
Conclusion
Although the NFS score alone was not an independent predictor, the results suggest that liver fibrosis and its associated indices may play a significant role in assessing cardiovascular risk. Longitudinal studies are recommended to investigate the causal relationship between NAFLD and cardiovascular diseases.