Takeaway
- In children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), prevalence of cardiometabolic derangements, especially dyslipidaemia, was found to be high and it differed based on race or ethnicity.
- Serum triglycerides (TGs) and non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) may play an important role in the pathophysiology of paediatric NAFLD.
Why this matters
- NAFLD has emerged as the most common cause of paediatric chronic liver disorder; however, there is no clarity on factors underlying the pathophysiology of NAFLD.
Study design
- Cross-sectional review of electronic medical records of 309 children (white, n=195; Hispanic, n=71; black, n=43) with a diagnosis of NAFLD.
- Funding: None.
Key results
- Overall, 208 children had radiological or histological evidence of NAFLD, and 101 had elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels.
- Hispanic children were diagnosed with NAFLD at a significantly younger age (10.6±3.1 years; P<.0001) and lower BMI (31.5±6.8 kg/m2; P<.0001) than their white and black counterparts.
- For the entire cohort, elevated systolic hypertension was seen in 41%, diabetes in 14%, elevated cholesterol in 42%, elevated non–HDL-C in 58%, elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in 36%, elevated TG in 88% and elevated low HDL-C in 77%.
- Significant positive correlation was seen between serum ALT and non–HDL-C (r, 0.16; P=.02) and total TG (r=0.18; P=.01).
Limitations
- Retrospective study design.
References
References