High blood levels of fats such as triglycerides and cholesterol in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) may not increase their risk of developing fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis, both significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to a recent study.
Fatty liver disease is marked by fat buildup in the liver, while atherosclerosis appears as fat accumulates in the walls of blood vessels, forming plaques that make them very narrow. These masses sometimes completely block the blood flow through the blood vessels and cause life-threatening conditions such as stroke or a heart attack.
“Because cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death worldwide, increased blood fat level in PBC has a huge importance…Patients should be followed up in terms of cardiovascular risk, taking into account additional comorbid diseases and age,” the researchers emphasized. Comorbidity occurs when a person has more than one medical condition at the same time.
Read more about PBC causes and risk factors
To investigate the relationship between high blood fat, atherosclerosis and the degree of fatty liver disease in PBC, the researchers examined patient files and evaluated various parameters. The study enrolled 104 participants, including both patients with PBC and those without chronic liver disease. Participants were categorized into four groups based on their blood fat levels.
According to the results, fats circulating in the bloodstream may not affect the blood vessels of patients with PBC. There was no significant difference between blood vessel wall thickness and the presence of plaques between patients with PBC who had normal blood fat levels and those with increased blood fat levels.
Still, risk factors such as age and the presence of diabetes mellitus were linked to increased plaque formation. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease marked by increased blood sugar levels. Age, gender, and high body mass index (BMI) may pose additional risks to increased blood vessel wall thickness.
It also appears that blood fat levels do not affect the liver health of patients with PBC. There was minimal variation in terms of liver health (Apri) scores, levels of scar tissue (fibrosis) and fat accumulation in the liver (CAP score), end-stage liver disease (cirrhosis), and response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), frequently used in PBC treatment, between patients with normal versus increased blood fat levels.
“PBC is a chronic autoimmune cholestatic liver disease that mainly affects women. Stalling of bile flow through the biliary canals in the liver (cholestasis) and PBC-specific mechanisms result in increased blood cholesterol levels in up to 76% of patients,” the researchers added.
