The Assessment of Cardiovascular Abnormalities in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Chronic liver disease (CLD) is associated with a wide range of systemic complications, including cardiovascular abnormalities. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of cardiac abnormalities and to correlate with the severity of liver disorder. Materials and methods A cross-sectional analysis comprising 120 adult subjects diagnosed with CLD was performed. Data were collected through clinical assessments, including liver function tests, echocardiography, and electrocardiograms (ECG). The severity of CLD was determined using the Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scoring systems. Results In this study, 85 (70.8%) were men, and the major cause of CLD was alcoholism in 89 (66.7%) of the patients. Regarding CLD severity, the majority of patients were in MELD stage 2, and 70 (58.3%) and 76 (63.3%) were in CTP class C. The prevalence of various cardiac abnormalities was as follows: left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in 25 (20.8%), left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) in 76 (63.3%), and prolonged corrected QT (QTc) in 52 (43.3%) of the CLD patients. The values of the QTc interval were higher in MELD stage 3, and it was significant (p=0.001). The association between LVSD (p=0.004) and LVDD (p=0.001) was significant, and the proportion of CLD subjects with cardiac dysfunction was greater in CTP class C compared to classes B and A. Conclusion The present study highlights a concerning prevalence of cardiovascular abnormalities among chronic liver disease patients, underscoring the need for routine cardiovascular assessment in this population.