Fatty liver disease in obese children in Kashan, Iran

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly a common disease which is created by the accumulation of fat in the liver. About 20% of adults and 5% of children suffer from this disease. In some studies, half of obese children had fatty liver disease and approximately 90% of the patients with fatty liver were obese. The aim of this study was to evaluate fatty liver disease in obese children referred to the pediatric clinic in Kashan, Iran, in 2012. Methods: This study was done on 200 children aged 5-15 years with Body Mass Index (BMI) more than 95% and other causes of obesity were ruled out. Liver ultrasonography for evaluation of fatty liver and blood sampling were performed for these children. Results: Of 200 studied children, 122 (61%) and 78 (39%) were male and female, respectively with mean age of 9.07 years. The average of BMI was 27.9. According to liver sonography, 118 (59%) patients had fatty liver that 91.5% of them were grade I and 8.5% grade II. Liver enzyme levels, serum lipids and uric acid were significantly higher in obese children with fatty liver. Fatty liver had a significant relationship with insulin levels but no with Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS). Conclusions: In this study, the prevalence of fatty liver and associated disorder in obese children was high (59%). Therefore, the lifestyle changes are necessary to prevent childhood obesity and some measures should be carried out for the treatment of fatty liver in children.