Cardiohepatic Interactions and Liver Stiffness Assessment
Summary
Cardiohepatic interactions encompass the bidirectional relationship between cardiac function and hepatic physiology. Impaired cardiac output or elevated central venous pressure leads to hepatic congestion, fibrogenesis and ultimately increases in liver stiffness. Conversely, chronic liver diseases such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease can exacerbate systemic inflammation and pro-thrombotic states, heightening the risk of heart failure, arrhythmias and coronary artery disease. Non-invasive assessment of liver stiffness through elastographic techniques provides a valuable surrogate for both fibrosis and congestion, enabling clinicians to monitor disease progression, stratify cardiovascular risk and tailor multidisciplinary interventions. The global burden of combined cardiac and hepatic dysfunction is rising in parallel with ageing populations and metabolic comorbidities, making timely and accurate measurement of liver stiffness a cornerstone for integrated care pathways and outcome prediction.
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Cardiohepatic Interactions and Liver Stiffness Assessment publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in cardiohepatic interactions and liver stiffness assessment across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Cardiohepatic interactions: The mutual influence between heart performance and liver physiology, particularly how cardiac dysfunction leads to hepatic congestion and fibrosis, and vice versa.
Transient elastography: A non-invasive ultrasound-based technique that measures liver stiffness by assessing shear wave velocity.
Shear wave elastography (SWE): An advanced form of elastography that quantifies tissue stiffness and viscosity by generating and tracking shear waves in the liver.
Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index: A serum-based scoring system combining age, liver enzymes and platelet count to estimate the stage of hepatic fibrosis.
Congestive hepatopathy: Liver injury characterised by congestion and hypoxia due to elevated venous pressures in right-sided heart failure.
References
- Liver stiffness as a cornerstone in heart disease risk assessment. Liver International (2023).
- Association between Cardiovascular Disease and Liver Disease, from a Clinically Pragmatic Perspective as a Cardiologist. Nutrients (2023).
- The Liver in Heart Failure: From Biomarkers to Clinical Risk. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- Dynamics of the Liver Stiffness Value Using Transient Elastography during the Perioperative Period in Patients with Valvular Heart Disease. PLOS ONE (2014).
- Shear Wave Dispersion Predicts Liver Fibrosis and Adverse Outcomes in Patients with Heart Failure. Journal of Clinical Medicine (2020).
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