The association of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease between parents and adolescent children.

Abstract

Data reporting the heritability of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are highly variable. To investigate the association of NAFLD between parents and their adolescent children using a nationwide, population-based cohort. We analysed 1737 families with both parents and adolescent children aged 12-18 who participated in Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) between 2010 and 2019. NAFLD was defined by body mass index and elevated alanine aminotransferase levels in children and by the hepatic steatosis index in parents. The prevalence of NAFLD in adolescent children with either parent with NAFLD was higher than that in those without a parent with NAFLD (10.2% vs. 3.1%, p < 0.001). In a model fully adjusted for demographic, nutritional, behavioural and metabolic risk factors, children with either parent with NAFLD had a higher odds ratio (OR) for NAFLD (OR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.02-3.00) thanthose without a parent with NAFLD. Compared to those without a parent with NAFLD, the fully adjusted ORs of NAFLD in children with paternal NAFLD, maternal NAFLD and NAFLD in both parents were 1.80 (95% CI: 1.01-3.20), 2.21 (95% CI: 1.11-4.42) and 2.60 (95% CI: 1.03-6.54), respectively. Adolescent children with a parent with NAFLD were at increased risk of NAFLD; risk was higherwhen both parents had NAFLD. Further studies are needed to explore the benefit of NAFLD screening in children who have a parent with NAFLD.