J Korean Med Sci.  2018 Apr;33(14):e109. 10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e109.

Estimated Prevalence of Adolescents with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Korea

• Kang Y
• Park S
• Kim S
• Koh H

• KMID: 2407685
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e109

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become prevalent worldwide in the last decade. However, the recent prevalence of NAFLD in adolescents has not yet been investigated in Korea.
METHODS
Data were obtained from 1,416 participants aged 10-18 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2010 and 2015. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), height, weight, waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and pediatric NAFLD fibrosis index (PNFI) were analyzed.
RESULTS
SBP, weight, WC, BMI, WHtR, and total cholesterol level were significantly higher in 2015 than in 2010. Prevalence of NAFLD (BMI ≥ 85th percentile plus ALT > 30 U/L for boys and ALT > 19 U/L for girls) were 4.7% in 2010 and 5.9% in 2015 (P = 0.360). Using various cutoffs for the ALT level (> 40, > 30, > 25.8 U/L for boys and >22.1 U/L for girls) NAFLD prevalence rates were 3.0%, 4.1%, and 5.5% in 2010; 2.9%, 5.0%, and 7.1% in 2015, respectively (P = 0.899, 0.469, and 0.289). Boys had a higher SBP, DBP, height, weight, WC, BMI, WHtR, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, ALT, and lower HDL level than girls. The probability of liver fibrosis using the PNFI varies between 21.3% and 24.5% among NAFLD participants (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
The Korean society needs to quickly control the increasing prevalence of NAFLD in adolescents and reduce its complications.

Keyword

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Estimated; Prevalence; Korea; Adolescents

MeSH Terms

Adolescent*
Alanine Transaminase
Aspartate Aminotransferases
Blood Pressure
Body Mass Index
Cholesterol
Fasting
Female
Fibrosis
Glucose
Humans
Korea
Lipoproteins
Liver Cirrhosis
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease*
Nutrition Surveys
Prevalence*
Waist Circumference
Alanine Transaminase
Aspartate Aminotransferases
Cholesterol
Glucose
Lipoproteins