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Review
. 2024 Apr 26;10(3):e758.
doi: 10.1002/osp4.758. eCollection 2024 Jun.

The effects of weight loss interventions on children and adolescents with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Mohammad Hassan Sohouli  1   2 , Seyedeh Elaheh Bagheri  3 , Somaye Fatahi  4 , Pejman Rohani  2
Affiliations
Review

The effects of weight loss interventions on children and adolescents with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Mohammad Hassan Sohouli et al. Obes Sci Pract. .

Abstract

Background: Overall, there is conflicting evidence regarding the beneficial effects of optimal lifestyle modification, particularly weight loss interventions, with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)). Therefore, this study investigated the effects of weight loss interventions on laboratory and clinical parameters in children and adolescents with NAFLD.

Methods: Original databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Embase) were searched using standard keywords to identify all controlled trials investigating the effects of weight loss interventions among NAFLD children and adolescents. Pooled weighted mean difference and 95% confidence intervals were achieved by random-effects model analysis.

Results: Eighteen eligible clinical trials were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled findings showed that especially more intense weight loss interventions significantly reduced the glucose (p = 0.007), insulin (p = 0.002), homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (p = 0.003), weight (p = 0.025), body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.003), BMI z-score (p < 0.001), waist circumference (WC) (p = 0.013), triglyceride (TG) (p = 0.001), and aspartate transaminase (AST) (p = 0.027). However, no significant changes were found in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), alanine transaminase (ALT), and hepatic steatosis grades (all p > 0.05) following weight loss interventions.

Conclusions: Weight loss interventions had significant effects on NAFLD-related parameters including glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, weight, BMI, BMI z-score, WC, TG, and AST.

Keywords: adolescent; anthropometry; children; glycemic index; lipid profile; liver profile; non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease; weight loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flowchart of the study.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Forest plots from the meta‐analysis of clinical trials investigating the effects of weight loss interventions on (A) glucose, (B) insulin, and (C) homeostatic model assessment‐insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR). HOMA‐IR, homeostatic model assessment‐insulin resistance; WMD, weighted mean difference.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Forest plots from the meta‐analysis of clinical trials investigating the effects of weight loss interventions on (A) weight, (B) BMI, (C) body mass index (BMI) z‐score, and (D) waist circumference (WC). BMI, Body mass index; WC, Waist circumference; WMD, weighted mean difference.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Forest plots from the meta‐analysis of clinical trials investigating the effects of weight loss interventions on (A) total cholesterol (TC), (B) low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), (C) high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), and (D) triglyceride (TG). HDL‐C, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL‐C, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol; TC, total cholesterol; TG, triglyceride; WMD, weighted mean difference.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Forest plots from the meta‐analysis of clinical trials investigating the effects of weight loss interventions on (A) alanine transaminase (ALT), (B) aspartate transaminase (AST), and (C) hepatic steatosis (HS) grade. ALT, alanine transaminase; AST, aspartate transaminase; WMD, weighted mean difference.
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