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Review
. 2016 Jun;150(8):1798-810.
doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2016.03.009. Epub 2016 Mar 19.

Comparison of the Phenotype and Approach to Pediatric vs Adult Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Valerio Nobili  1 , Anna Alisi  1 , Kimberly P Newton  2 , Jeffrey B Schwimmer  3
Affiliations
Review

Comparison of the Phenotype and Approach to Pediatric vs Adult Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Valerio Nobili et al. Gastroenterology. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the main chronic noncommunicable diseases in Westernized societies; its worldwide prevalence has doubled during the last 20 years. NAFLD has serious health implications not only for adults, but also for children. However, pediatric NAFLD is not only an important global problem in itself, but it is likely to be associated with increases in comorbidities, such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. There are several differences between NAFLD in children and adults, and it is not clear whether the disease observed in children is the initial phase of a process that progresses with age. The increasing prevalence of pediatric NAFLD has serious implications for the future adult population requiring appropriate action. Studies of NAFLD progression, pathogenesis, and management should evaluate disease phenotypes in children and follow these over the patient's lifetime. We review the similarities and differences of NAFLD between children and adults.

Keywords: Adults; Children; Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: The authors disclose no conflicts.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Estimated general population prevalence of NAFLD is shown for Children (panel A) and Adults (panel B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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