Liver Disease Scores Could Help Signal Heart Risk
Cirrhosis severity scores may indicate hidden cardiac dysfunction in adults with the disease.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Heart Disease
A cross-sectional study of 77 adults with cirrhosis suggests that disease severity scores may help identify patients at higher risk for heart complications. Published in September 2024, the findings indicate that specific MELD and Child-Pugh scores correlate with signs of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy.
Why it matters
Cirrhosis can significantly impact cardiovascular health, yet identifying those at risk is challenging. This research explores whether existing liver-function scoring systems could double as indicators for hidden heart dysfunction, potentially improving clinical monitoring for those living with the disease.
This cross-sectional study of 77 adults with cirrhosis—mean age 61—found a 32.5% prevalence of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. These preliminary results identified MELD and Child-Pugh scores as potential markers for cardiac risk, though the findings require future validation in larger populations.
The details
Researchers utilized echocardiographic data to evaluate cardiac structure and function in patients without prior cardiovascular disease. They observed that 49.4% of the cohort showed diastolic dysfunction, while 28.6% displayed impaired left ventricular global longitudinal strain. The study used multivariable logistic regression to link these outcomes to liver disease severity, pinpointing a MELD score of 10.5 and a Child-Pugh score of 8.5 as potential thresholds for cardiac concern.
Timeline
The cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2023 and September 2024.
Health Landscape
The MELD scoring system is currently a standard tool for assessing prognosis and transplant priority in liver disease. This research extends its clinical application by exploring how liver severity markers might also indicate the presence of associated cardiac dysfunction.
Patients with cirrhosis should speak with their physician about whether their liver disease profile warrants additional cardiac screening. Understanding these links is an early step in proactive care, though current findings are preliminary and not yet a standard part of clinical diagnosis.
The takeaway
Cardiac dysfunction can be an under-recognized complication of advanced cirrhosis. Those living with the condition may want to ask their doctor about their cardiovascular health status and whether any new monitoring recommendations apply to them.
Further reading
For more on how chronic conditions affect the heart, see our guide to Heart Disease.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Nature.
