VLDL triglycerides and cholesterol in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction is a leading cause of death in individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The two diseases share elevated very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) carrying both triglycerides and cholesterol; however, in NAFLD mainly triglycerides accumulate in liver cells while in myocardial infarction mainly cholesterol accumulates in the atherosclerotic plaque. We hypothesized that VLDL triglycerides preferentially associate with risk of NAFLD, while VLDL cholesterol preferentially associates with risk of myocardial infarction.
