Risk for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Young Adults Born Preterm.
BACKGROUND
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Accelerated catch-up in weight during infancy in subjects born at full term has been associated with increased risk for NAFLD in adulthood, but this association has not been studied in subjects born preterm.


METHODS
In 162 young adults born at a gestational age <36 weeks, we assessed the associations between fatty liver index (FLI, 0-100) and birth weight standard deviation score and first-year weight gain. We performed comparisons between subjects with and without accelerated catch-up in weight in the first year after term age. An FLI score was assigned to each participant to determine the clinical relevance, and regression analyses were performed.


RESULTS
Accelerated weight gain in the first 3 months after term age was associated with FLI as a continuous variable, whereas gestational age and low birth weight were not. Of the subjects with accelerated catch-up in weight-for-length after term age, 7.3% had a high FLI at the age of 21 years, whereas none of the subjects without accelerated catch-up in weight had a high FLI.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows that accelerated weight gain after term age is associated with an increased risk of developing NAFLD in young adults born preterm.
Subdivision of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Centre/Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Laura M
LM
Breij
Gerthe F
GF
Kerkhof
Anita C S
AC
Hokken-Koelega
D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012306:Risk; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult