非酒精性脂肪肝是慢性肝功能障碍最常见的原因，是一个严重的全球性健康问题。非酒精性脂肪肝已被证明与胰岛素抵抗、肥胖和代谢综合征相关，而这些因素又与心血管疾病密不可分。大量研究表明，非酒精性脂肪肝患者发生心血管疾病的风险增加，心血管疾病是其主要的死亡原因。越来越多的证据提示非酒精性脂肪肝不仅是心血管疾病的一个易感因素，而且可能参与了心血管疾病的发病机制。

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver dysfunction and a serious global health problem. NAFLD has been linked with insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic syndrome, conditions known to be associated to cardiovascular disease (CVD). A large number of publications demonstrated that people with non-alcoholic fatty liver have an increased risk for developing CVDs, which represent the major cause of death under this setting. Accumulating evidence suggested that NAFLD should be not only a risk factor for CVD but also may be actively involved in the pathogenesis of CVD.