Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Fatty Liver Disease in Children

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents the most common cause of chronic liver disease in Industrialized Countries in adults and children. It is estimated that NAFLD will become the main indication for liver transplantation in the next decade. NAFLD is also considered the hepatic feature of metabolic syndrome and therefore it is generally associated to the risk of developing some metabolic complications, with negative impact on patient's survival. Today, no pharmacological treatment has been identified for NAFLD, and behavioral approach, based on diet and regular physical exercise, represent the current recommended treatment, even if with disappointing results. For these reasons, several pharmacological trials have been conducted, in order to identify possible alternative therapy direct against pathogenetic targets of NAFLD. Several data have suggested the potential beneficial role of omega-3 fatty acids in NAFLD and its related metabolic disarray. In this chapter, we try to elucidate the molecular and clinical available evidence for the omega-3 supplementation in pediatric NAFLD patients.

Keywords: Hepatic lipid metabolism; Liver treatment; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; Omega-3 fatty acids; Omega-6 fatty acids.