All issues > Volume 48(1); 2005

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2005;48(1):13-20. Published online January 15, 2005.

Prevalence of the Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Obese Children

Sung Woog SW Hwang¹, Duk Hee DH Kim¹, Ho Seong HS Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Duk Hee DH Kim ,Email: dhkim3@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: Obesity is, along with metabolic syndrome, closely related with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This study tried to evaluate the prevalence of nonalcoholic liver disease in obese children and verify the factors associated with the disease.
Methods
: Two hundred and seventy nine children who showed a body mass index of 95 percentile over the baseline in health examinations of surrounding schools were evaluated. Questionnaires, body measurements, blood examinations, and ultrasonographic measurements of abdominal fat were examined.
Results
: Out of 279 children enrolled for the study, 27 children were found to possess nonalcoholic liver disease(9.7%). Among those found to be positive for nonalcoholic liver disease, it's prevalence increased to 15.2%(22 out of 144 children) among children with severe obesity. Factors known to be involved with metabolic syndrome, namely waist/hip circumference ratio and thickness of abdominal fat, were found to be closely related to nonalcoholic fatty liver as well.
Conclusion
: The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver in obese children was 9.7%, with higher incidence observable in severer obesity. Factors responsible for metabolic syndrome were closely associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and the level of insulin resistance, which is an useful index in both diseases, can be utilized in evaluation of the effect of treatment and control of risk factors.

Keywords :Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Obesity, Insulin resistance