Commentary
Previous studies demonstrated conflicting results regarding the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and atrial fibrillation (AF). The statistical power was not sufficient because of modest sample sizes of these studies. We analyzed a large population-based cohort to evaluate the association between NAFLD and AF. The authors evaluated 334 280 healthy individuals without comorbidities who underwent National Health check-ups in South Korea from 2009 to 2014. NAFLD was defined by a surrogate marker, the fatty liver index (FLI).
The association between FLI and AF incidence was analyzed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) indicated that a higher FLI was independently associated with an increased risk for AF (HR between Q4 and Q1, 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.63; P = .002). After further adjustment for the interim events (diabetes, hypertension, heart failure and myocardial infarction), this association remained statistically significant (HR between Q4 and Q1, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.19-2.03; P = .001). In conclusion NAFLD, assessed by FLI, was independently associated with increased risk for AF in healthy Korean population. Moreover, NAFLD itself predisposes to AF independently of the interim events.
