Children with nonalcoholic fatty liver may develop end-stage liver disease
Document Actions
Mortality among adult patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) disease is higher than in the general population, with liver-related death among leading causes of mortality. In this retrospective longitudinal hospital-based US cohort study, 66 children with NAFL were followed-up for up to 20 years. At the time of NAFL diagnosis, metabolic syndrome was present in 29% of the children, while 83% exhibited at least one metabolic syndrome component, such as obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia or hyperglycaemia. Following NAFL diagnosis, four children with normal fasting glucose at baseline developed type 2 diabetes. Progression of fibrosis stage was observed in four of the five children from whom liver biopsies were obtained. Two children died and two underwent liver transplantation for decompensated liver cirrhosis during follow-up. Compared to the general US population of the same age and sex, survival free of liver transplantation was significantly shorter in NAFL children. In conclusion, children with NAFL may develop end-stage liver disease, and this in turn may result in significantly shorter survival compared to the general population.
Abstract
