Medicine & Health
Investigating the Impact of COVID-19 on the Development of Fatty Liver Disease
Thomas Peng
Medicine & Health
Thomas Peng
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on global health, with varying effects on different patient populations. While the primary impact of COVID-19 is on the respiratory system, it has also been associated with a range of complications in other organ systems, including the liver. Patients with pre-existing conditions, such as fatty liver disease, have been observed to experience more severe COVID-19 outcomes. However, these correlations are not yet fully understood, and the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the development of fatty liver disease remain unclear. This study proposes a retrospective analysis of patient data from the Montefiore database to investigate whether COVID-19 is associated with a higher incidence of new-onset fatty liver disease. We will use SQLite for data extraction and Python for data analysis and visualization. We will screen patients admitted to Montefiore Hospital Systems between March 2020 and October 2021, focusing on those diagnosed with COVID-19 and comparing those who developed fatty liver disease 3 months post-diagnosis with a COVID-19 negative control group. The goal of our analysis is to identify significant correlations and risk factors for the development of fatty liver disease in COVID-19 patients. The development of fatty liver disease will be identified according to established clinical guidelines, with additional consideration of patient demographics, associated comorbidities, lab values, and clinical outcomes. Our findings may help inform clinical decision-making and risk stratification for patients with fatty liver disease in the context of the ongoing pandemic. Furthermore, understanding the interplay between these two diseases could provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of COVID-19 pathogenesis and identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention.