Hypolipidemic therapy in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Dyslipidemia is currently accepted to be one of the major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis. There is no question that the liver plays an important role in the development of atherogenic dyslipidemia and it is simultaneously a target organ, which results in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The latter limits the feasibilities of adequate hypolipidemic therapy, thus increasing the cardiovascular risks. There is a need to use hepatoprotectors when atherogenic dyslipidemia in a patient with documented NAFLD is treated with statins and fibrates. The choice of hepatoprotectors depends on the stage of NAFLD. It is expedient to take statins in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid preparations in NAFLD at the stage of steatosis. A combination of statins and a cholesterol absorption inhibitor is more effective in achieving low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Intestinal microflora-normalizing agents (enteric antiseptics, pre- and probiotics) should be included into a complex of hypolipidemic therapy in patients with NAFLD. Key words: atherogenic dyslipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hypolipidemic therapy.