A new study has found a surprising reason why many people with fatty liver disease die early. The research shows that high blood pressure is the main cause of death among people with this condition, even more than diabetes or high blood sugar.
Scientists from the University of Southern California’s Keck Medicine studied health data from thousands of people between 1988 and 2018. They used information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to find out what made some patients die earlier than others.
Out of more than 134,000 people, about 21,000 had fatty liver disease. When the researchers looked closely, they found that high blood pressure increased the risk of death by about 40%. Diabetes or prediabetes raised the risk by 25%, while low “good” cholesterol (HDL) raised it by around 15%.
The results shocked scientists. Many people think diabetes is the main threat for these patients, but this study showed that blood pressure might be even more dangerous. The higher a person’s blood pressure or body weight, the greater their chance of dying from health problems linked to fatty liver disease.
Dr. Norah Terrault, one of the researchers, said that these findings can help doctors focus on the most serious risk factors. She explained that by treating high blood pressure early, many lives could be saved.
The researchers also plan to study other causes such as diet, genetics, and alcohol use. For now, they say the best way to stay healthy is to control blood pressure, manage blood sugar, and keep a healthy weight.
This new discovery gives hope for better treatments and prevention for millions of people living with fatty liver disease.
