Study Objective:

• The study aimed to evaluate how glycaemic status influences long-term cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methodology

• Researchers analyzed data from 1,057,775 adults in South Korea who were diagnosed with NAFLD during a national health screening in 2009. 

• Participants were categorized based on fasting glucose levels into three groups: normal fasting glucose (NFG), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and type 2 diabetes (T2D). 

• They were followed for a median duration of 11.3 years to track incidences of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and cardiovascular (CV) death.

Key Findings

• During the follow-up period, the study recorded 26,491 heart attacks, 55,791 strokes, and 11,147 cardiovascular deaths. 

• After adjusting for potential confounders, individuals with T2D had significantly elevated risks 39% higher for both MI and stroke, and 46% higher for CV death—compared to those with normal glucose levels. 

• The IFG group did not show a statistically significant increase in risk.

Notable Insight:

• The increased cardiovascular risk in the T2D group was especially evident among younger, non-obese individuals without hypertension suggesting that traditional risk profiles may underestimate CVD risk in this subgroup.

Conclusion:

• T2D markedly increases CVD risk in those with NAFLD, underscoring the need for early detection and integrated disease management.Click here to read more