Aortic flow propagation velocity, epicardial fat thickness, and osteoprotegerin level to predict subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common cause of liver dysfunction in Western countries and an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic heart disease. Appropriate noninvasive parameters are lacking for optimal risk stratification of cardiovascular disease in these patients. We evaluated several recently discovered noninvasive parameters for atherosclerosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: epicardial fat thickness, aortic flow propagation velocity, and osteoprotegerin level