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. 2024 Dec;26(12):5896-5905.
doi: 10.1111/dom.15961. Epub 2024 Sep 30.

Glycaemic control metrics and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Claudio Maffeis  1 , Claudia Piona  1 , Anita Morandi  1 , Marco Marigliano  1 , Elisa Morotti  1 , Valentina Mancioppi  1 , Erika Caiazza  1 , Chiara Zusi  1 , Federica Emiliani  1 , Alessandro Mantovani  2 , Antonio Colecchia  3 , Giovanni Targher  4   5
Affiliations

Glycaemic control metrics and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Claudio Maffeis et al. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Aim: The aim was to examine the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and its association with glycaemic control metrics in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Materials and methods: We enrolled 244 children and adolescents with T1D (115 girls, mean age: 16.2 ± 3.2 years). The diagnosis of MASLD was defined by the presence of hepatic steatosis on ultrasonography in combination with at least one of five common cardiometabolic risk factors. Metrics of short-term and long-term glycaemic control, blood pressure, lipids, anthropometric characteristics and three genetic variants strongly related to MASLD susceptibility (rs738409 [patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3], rs58542926 [transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2] and rs1260326 [glucokinase regulator]) were assessed. Characteristics of these subjects with and without MASLD were compared using the unpaired Student t test, Mann-Whitney test or χ2 test as appropriate. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the main independent predictors of MASLD.

Results: The prevalence of MASLD was 27.5% in children and adolescents with T1D. Blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HbA1c and time above range (TAR) were significantly higher in subjects with MASLD than in those without MASLD. Mean HbA1c values from diabetes onset (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.703, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.040-2.787, p = 0.034), TAR (adjusted OR: 1.028, 95% CI: 1.009-1.047, p = 0.006) and plasma LDL cholesterol (adjusted OR: 1.045, 95% CI: 1.013-1.078, p = 0.004) were independently associated with the presence of MASLD.

Conclusions: MASLD is a common condition in children and adolescents with T1D. The mean HbA1c values from diabetes onset, TAR and LDL cholesterol levels were the independent predictors of MASLD.

Keywords: children; continuous glucose monitoring; glycaemic control; metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease; prevalence; type 1 diabetes.

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