Cardiovascular disease in diabetics increased by liver disease

A study carried out by an Italian research group has identified positive links between non-alcohol related fatty liver disease and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease as a type 2 diabetic. Diabetics suffering from liver disease had an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
The study was carried out in Verona at the Sacro Cuore Hospital of Negrar. The study group comprised just over 2,000 type 2 diabetics, all of whom had not developed cardiovascular disease at the beginning of the study. Over the course of the 5 year study, around 250 of the participants developed major diabetes-related complications including stroke, heart disease, heart attack, heart bypass, angioplasty or died of cardiovascular disease.
The results of the study, published in the journal Diabetes, indicate that fatty liver disease was highly likely to prompt the development of cardiovascular disease. The researchers warned that the presence of non-alcohol related liver disease should cause doctors to prepare for further complications. Underlying risks were likely to be significantly increased, and the possibility of further testing and treatment an extreme likelihood.