Grip Strength Moderates the Association between Anthropometric and Body Composition Indicators and Liver Fat in Youth with an Excess of Adiposity.

Robinson Ramírez-Vélez,Mikel Izquierdo,Jacqueline Schmidt Rio-Valle,Jorge Correa-Bautista,María Correa-Rodríguez,Alejandra Tordecilla-Sanders,Katherine González-Ruíz,Emilio González-Jiménez

doi:10.3390/jcm7100347

Abstract

Paediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the most common early driver of chronic liver disease. The aim of this study was to examine whether grip strength moderates the association between anthropometric and body composition parameters and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), an indicator of fat deposits in the liver, in children and adolescents with excess of adiposity. A total of 127 adolescents (67% girls) aged between 11 and 17, attending two public schools in Bogotá (Colombia), who had an axiological evaluation of obesity were included in this study. A grip strength test was assessed as an indicator of muscular strength, and cardiorespiratory fitness by maximal oxygen uptake was assessed using the 20 m shuttle-run test. Waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), fat mass, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) (cm3) were included as anthropometric and body composition measures. CAP was determined with a FibroScan® 502 Touch device (Echosens, Paris, France). The anthropometric and body composition parameters including WC, WHtR, fat mass, and VAT were positively associated with the CAP (range β = 0.423 to 0.580), slightly reduced after being adjusted for handgrip strength/weight. The Johnson-Neyman technique revealed a significant inverse relationship between WC, WHtR, VAT, and CAP when grip strength normalized by body mass was above but not equal to or below 0.475 (8.1% of the sample), 0.469 (8.9% of the sample), and 0.470 (8.5% of the sample), respectively. In conclusion, grip strength adjusted by body mass, has a moderating effect on the association between anthropometric and body composition parameters (including WC, WHtR, and VAT) and CAP in in children and adolescents with excess of adiposity, suggesting the importance of promoting muscular strength during paediatric population in order to prevent NAFLD.

Highlights

Paediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered a hepatic manifestation of metabolic alterations and is the most common early driver of chronic liver disease in industrialized and developing countries [1]. It is characterized by fat accumulation, mainly as triglyceride, inside liver cells, and NAFLD may progress through three different stages starting from NAFLD, to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and liver cirrhosis [1]
The mean values of Waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), VO2max, and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) were significantly higher in boys than in girls, p < 0.01
Our findings revealed a significant inverse relationship between WC, WHtR, VAT, and CAP when HGS was above 0.475, 0.469, and 0.470, respectively, supporting the fact that grip strength moderates these associations in youths with excess of adiposity

Summary

Introduction

Paediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered a hepatic manifestation of metabolic alterations and is the most common early driver of chronic liver disease in industrialized and developing countries [1]. It is characterized by fat accumulation, mainly as triglyceride, inside liver cells, and NAFLD may progress through three different stages starting from NAFLD, to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and liver cirrhosis [1]. Recently it has been proposed that sedentary lifestyle could be responsible for the high prevalence of NAFLD, as it is known to increase in parallel with obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and visceral fat obesity, an important clinical target for managing the negative consequences of obesity in children and adolescents [3]

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