Approved Research

Investigation of causal relation between liver fat content and ischemic heart disease

Lay summary

Fatty liver has reached epidemic proportions and now affects approximately 25% of the adult European population. Previously an uncommon disease, fatty liver is now the second most common indication for liver transplantation in the USA. In observational studies, fatty liver has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and ischemia heart disease, which are a leading cause of death worldwide. However, because the association between fatty liver and ischemic heart disease might be due to shared underlying risk factors, it is uncertain whether fatty liver causally contributed to the development of ischemic heart disease. Therefore, we will investigate the causal relationship between fatty liver and ischemic heart disease, using Mendelian randomization method. We expect the result of this study to shed light on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease, and to contribute to reveal the potential therapeutic target of these conditions, ultimately lessening the burden of ischemic heart disease from global hearth care system.