Relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and bone mineral density in adolescents with obesity: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Purpose

Many studies have reported the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and bone mineral density (BMD) among adults. However, fewer studies on this topic have been reported in adolescents. We thus conducted a meta-analysis to show the association between NAFLD and BMD in adolescents with obesity.

Materials and methods

Computer retrieval was carried out via PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to September 2018. Six published case–control studies that assessed the relationship between NAFLD and BMD were included.

Results

The six studies included 217 obese adolescents with NAFLD and 236 controls. The meta-analysis indicated that obese children with NAFLD had a lower BMD and Z-score than the control group (weighted mean difference [WMD]–0.03, 95% CI [−0.05, –0.02], P=0.000; [WMD] −0.26, 95% CI [−0.37, −0.14], P=0.000). However, we analyzed the factor of bone mineral content, and there was no correlation between the two groups ([WMD]–55.99, 95% CI [−132.16, 20.18], P=0.150).

Conclusion

Obese children with NAFLD are more susceptible to osteoporosis than children with only obesity. Because of the limitations related to the quantity and quality of the included literature, further studies are still needed.

Keywords:

• nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• NAFLD
• bone mineral density
• BMD
• meta-analysis
• obesity
• adolescent

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.