Peng L, Wu S, Zhou N, et al. - to offer evidence for monitoring and prevention strategies at an early stage for obese children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), researchers examined possible risk factors of NAFLD) in children with obesity. Data were collected and analyzed from 428 children and adolescents aged 6-16 years selected from the Children’s Hospital at Nanjing Medical University between September 2015 and April 2018.

Among 428 children with obesity, 235 (54.9%) had simple steatosis (SS) and 45 (10.5%) had nonalcoholic fatty hepatitis (NASH). In the NASH group, body mass index, body mass index standard deviation score (BMI-SDS), waist circumference, body fat, liver enzymes, uric acid and HOMA-IR level were significantly higher vs the SS and simple obesity (SOB) groups. Metabolic syndrome was found in 53.3% of the SS group and 49.8% of the NASH group, which was significantly greater than in the SOB group (19.6%). Logistic regression models showed NASH was linked with BMI-SDS ≥ 3, gender, hyperuricemia and insulin resistance, after adjustment for confounding factors. Monitoring risk factors for childhood obesity can help develop early prevention strategies for liver disease.