Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and heart valve disease. A neglected link

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD ) occurs when fatty infiltration affects more than 5% of liver tissue, in the presence of less than 20 g (2.5 U) of alcohol consumption per day, after ruling out other causes of liver affections. NAFLD is a slowly progressive condition including a wide range of liver diseases with varying degrees of severity (from simple steatosis to coexistent inflammation with hepatocyte necrosis and fibrosis, to cirrhosis). Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a more advanced stage of NAFLD disease, i.e. it occurs when an inflammatory component appears in addition to steatosis, resulting in a higher risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease and mortality than steatosis only.