This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Subclinical hypothyroidism increases the risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
NEW ORLEANS — The odds of having subclinical hypothyroidism are higher for children of Latino ancestry with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease than those without the condition, according to findings presented at the Endocrine Society Annual Meeting.
“The current rate of overweight and obesity in children portends an epidemic of cardiometabolic disease in our future generations,” Presley Helen Nichols, MD, of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, told Endocrine Today. “A better understanding of the underlying metabolic derangements that predispose some children to more comorbidities are critical in guiding prevention and treatment strategies in the future.”
Among 4,363 children (80% Latino) aged 5 to 19 years included in Nichols and colleagues’ retrospective study, 63 had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) confirmed by liver biopsy. The researchers also acquired thyroid, liver and lipid values from electronic health records and established four quartiles for thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in the cohort. The first quartile included those with TSH levels of 1.07 mIU/L or less. The second quartile included those with TSH levels between 1.07 mIU/L and 1.59 mIU/L. The third quartile included those with TSH levels between 1.59 mIU/L and 2.36 mIU/L. The fourth quartile included those with TSH levels of 2.36 mIU/L or more.
Children with NAFLD were more likely to be boys (P < .001) and of a younger age (P < .001). In comparison with children without NAFLD, children with the condition had higher levels of BMI and TSH, and there was a higher proportion of this population that exhibited abnormal cholesterol levels (P = .01). The researchers further found that having TSH levels in the fourth quartile was associated with higher odds for NAFLD (P = .0113), even after adjusting for age and sex.
“It is possible that there are unmeasured genetic or environmental factors predisposing younger children from this predominantly Latino community to NAFLD, and this deserves more careful longitudinal studies,” Nichols said. “It also re-emphasizes the fact that studies of populations from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds reveal new knowledge about health and disease.” – by Phil Neuffer
Reference:
Nichols PH, et al. SAT-LB015. Association of subclinical hypothyroidism with nonalcoholic fatty liver in children with overweight and obesity. Presented at: The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting; March 23-26, 2019; New Orleans.
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
Editor's note: On March 24 the headline of this article was updated to better reflect the results of the study.