Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT1550

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now recognized as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MAFLD), is closely linked to obesity and its metabolic complications in adolescents. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the prevalence and characteristics of MAFLD in obese children and adolescents, examining the relationship between obesity, metabolic dysfunction, and liver health.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 487 obese children aged 7-14 years from the Department of Endocrine Genetic Metabolism at Jiangxi Children’s Hospital between January 2020 and December 2022. Inclusion criteria were based on age and waist height ratio (WHtR), while exclusion criteria ruled out genetic obesity, diabetes mellitus, and other secondary causes of obesity. Clinical data included medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and insulin resistance assessment. The diagnosis of MAFLD was based on the presence of hepatic steatosis and at least one cardiometabolic risk criterion.

Results: The study cohort consisted of 479 children, with a median age of 10.6 years. The prevalence of MAFLD increased with age, affecting 45% of 7-9-year-olds and 68% of 10-14-year-olds. Males were more commonly affected, with a male-to-female ratio of 3.3:1. The MAFLD group had a higher average BMI, height, and weight compared to the non-MAFLD group. Liver enzymes were significantly elevated in the MAFLD group, indicating liver damage. The MAFLD group also exhibited higher insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and lower kidney function. The binary logistic regression model identified alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) as significant positive predictors of MAFLD, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was a significant negative predictor.

Conclusion: MAFLD is prevalent in obese adolescents and is associated with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and liver dysfunction. The study highlights the importance of early identification and management of MAFLD in obese pediatric populations to prevent long-term complications.

Keywords: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MAFLD), Adolescents, Obesity, Insulin resistance, Dyslipidemia, Liver enzymes.