Relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease prevalence and visceral fat in obese adolescents

Abstract

Background: Visceral adiposity is the major risk factor for paediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Aims: Determine the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease according to the visceral fat quartile.

Subjects: 181 obese adolescents including 113 girls (16.58+/-1.56 years) and 68 boys (16.87+/-1.62 years) were evaluated.

Methods: The inclusion criteria were obesity and post-pubertal stage of Tanner. Visceral fat of obese adolescents was distributed in quartiles after ultrasound nonalcoholic fatty liver disease diagnosis.

Results: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease prevalence was 45.30%. It was observed that 62.07% and 76.47% of girls and boys with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were found in the 4th quartile. In a multivariate logistic analysis it was observed that only visceral fat remained statistically significant, every 1cm increase in visceral fat was associated with a 1.97 fold (95% CI 1.06-3.66) in boys and 2.08 fold (95% CI 1.38-3.13) in girls increased risk to develop nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Indeed it was verified a positive correlation between visceral fat, body mass index, insulin levels, homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index and steatosis degree.

Conclusions: Our findings suggested that the expansion of visceral fat was a determinant factor to increase nonalcoholic fatty liver disease prevalence and the visceral fat measured by ultrasound might be a good predictor to identify risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese adolescents. It was confirmed by a stronger correlation between visceral fat and body mass index.