(NaturalHealth365)  Doctors who order a heart scan are usually hunting for one thing: narrowed or clogged arteries.  Yet the same images also capture part of the liver, sitting just below the heart.

When researchers at Mass General Brigham studied that overlooked corner of thousands of scans, they found a warning sign hiding in plain sight.  As a result, a condition many people never feel can seriously affect the heart.

Heart scans revealed a hidden problem in the liver

For the study, published in May 2026 in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the team analyzed 3,637 adults.  Everyone had come in for chest pain, and none had a history of heart disease.  The average age was about 60, and every participant received a detailed heart CT scan.

Using those same images, the researchers checked each person’s liver for excess fat.  In the end, more than one in four participants had fatty liver.  Fatty liver rarely causes pain or obvious symptoms, so most people only discover the problem by accident.

Soft, unstable plaque built up in their arteries

Next, the team measured the plaque lining each person’s coronary arteries.  People with fatty liver had about 24% more noncalcified plaque, the soft kind that hasn’t yet hardened.  Heart doctors worry most about soft plaque because the deposits can rupture without warning and trigger a blood clot.

Importantly, the difference held up even after the researchers accounted for obesity and overall heart risk scores.  In other words, a fatty liver seemed to shape the type of plaque forming, not just the amount.  By contrast, hardened, calcified plaque showed no meaningful difference between the two groups.

Fatty liver raised the risk of serious heart events by 69%

Over roughly two years, 4.1% of people with fatty liver suffered a heart attack, landed in the hospital with unstable chest pain, or died.  Among those without fatty liver, the rate was 2.5%.  Even after the team adjusted for other risk factors, obesity, and blocked arteries, fatty liver carried a 69% higher risk of these events.

Interestingly, the soft plaque explained only about 11% of that extra risk.  So the liver may strain the heart in other ways too, such as inflammation, insulin resistance, and unhealthy blood fats.

A fatty liver can heal when you give the organ a chance

Fortunately, the liver can repair and regenerate.  In the early stages, fat buildup can often shrink when people change how they eat, move, and sleep.  Meanwhile, those same changes tend to ease the inflammation and blood sugar problems that also wear down the heart.

Seen that way, a fatty liver is less a final verdict and more an early alarm.  Researchers estimate that 30% to 40% of American adults have fatty liver, and many have no idea.  The good news is that an early warning gives you time to act.

How to take pressure off your liver and your heart

Ask about your liver at your next checkup.  Standard liver enzyme tests can look normal even when fat is building up.  If you carry extra belly weight or struggle with blood sugar, ask whether an ultrasound or FibroScan makes sense.  Knowing your starting point makes progress much easier to track.

Cut back on added sugar, especially in drinks.  Your liver turns excess sugar, especially fructose, directly into fat.  Sodas, energy drinks, sweet teas, and many store-bought juices deliver large amounts in just a few sips.  Swapping them for water, sparkling water with lemon, or unsweetened tea is one of the simplest changes you can make.

Take a short walk after meals.  Research suggests that even 10 to 15 minutes of walking after eating helps your muscles absorb blood sugar.  As a result, less sugar reaches the liver, where the body would otherwise turn the excess into fat.  Any movement counts, whether you walk the dog, climb stairs, or tidy up the kitchen.

Fill your plate with liver-loving foods.  Organic broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts contain compounds that research suggests support the liver’s natural detoxification pathways.  Beets, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil also belong on your plate often.  Additionally, wild-caught salmon and sardines supply omega-3 fats that research links to lower liver fat.  Some people also add milk thistle, a traditional liver herb.

Protect your liver health to avoid heart problems

Most of us think of heart health in terms of cholesterol numbers and blood pressure readings.  Yet this research points to an organ few people ever check, even though a fatty liver can add to heart risk for years.  So how many people with “normal” checkups carry a fatty liver without knowing the strain on their hearts?

Fatty liver disease affects over 100 million people, often without a single warning symptom.  Jonathan Landsman’s Fatty Liver Docu-Class reveals how this hidden problem helps drive heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.  But, more importantly, this program shows you how to regenerate and repair your liver naturally.

Start with your next meal, your next walk, and your next conversation with your doctor.  Your liver is ready to heal, and your heart will thank you for listening.

Click here to own the Fatty Liver Docu-Class today.

Sources for this article include:

Cghjournal.org
News.massgeneralbrigham.org