Riestra-Candelaria Bárbara L, Rodríguez-Mojica Wilma, Vélez-Morell Camille, Ramírez-Marcano Claudia, Alvarado-Castillo Ariana, Camareno-Soto Gabriel, González-Rodríguez Loida A
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
Department of Radiological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Front Pediatr. 2025 Apr 28;13:1491342. doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1491342. eCollection 2025.
INTRODUCTION: Obesity in children is a global health crisis, with 46% of children in Puerto Rico classified as overweight or obese based on Body Mass Index. This condition is linked to serious comorbidities, including early-onset type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD), the most common liver disease in U.S. children. This study examines the relationship between body weight, liver size, and texture in children from Puerto Rico. METHODS: A craniocaudal right liver lobe (RLL) measurement was performed using a panoramic ultrasound image. RLL length and liver texture were assessed based on fat infiltration. BMI was calculated to classify participants into healthy and unhealthy weight groups, and waist circumference (WC) was compared. Statistical analyses, including Shapiro-Wilk, Student's t-tests, ANOVA, and Tukey HSD, were conducted with significance at ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: Forty-three children aged 7-19 years were recruited. Significant differences were observed in liver size and texture between healthy and unhealthy weight groups: RLL length ( = 0.003), WC ( < 0.001), and BMI ( < 0.001). Obese children had significantly larger RLL and WC than healthy-weight group ( = 0.02; < 0.001). More children in unhealthy weight group exhibited hepatomegaly ( = 12) and fat infiltration ( = 15). DISCUSSION: The findings indicate that large liver and MAFLD are common among children with overweight and obesity, suggesting liver changes related to obesity begin early in life. Strategies to maintain a healthy weight in children are essential to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and potential disabilities in adulthood.
引言:儿童肥胖是一场全球健康危机,根据体重指数,波多黎各46%的儿童被归类为超重或肥胖。这种情况与严重的合并症有关,包括早发性2型糖尿病、高血压和代谢相关脂肪性肝病(MAFLD),这是美国儿童中最常见的肝脏疾病。本研究探讨了波多黎各儿童体重、肝脏大小和质地之间的关系。 方法:使用全景超声图像对肝脏右叶进行头脚径测量。根据脂肪浸润情况评估肝脏右叶长度和肝脏质地。计算体重指数以将参与者分为健康体重组和不健康体重组,并比较腰围(WC)。进行了包括夏皮罗-威尔克检验、学生t检验、方差分析和图基 Honestly Significant Difference检验在内的统计分析,显著性水平设定为≤0.05。 结果:招募了43名7至19岁的儿童。在健康体重组和不健康体重组之间观察到肝脏大小和质地存在显著差异:肝脏右叶长度(=0.003)、腰围(<0.001)和体重指数(<0.001)。肥胖儿童的肝脏右叶和腰围明显大于健康体重组(=0.02;<0.001)。不健康体重组中更多儿童出现肝肿大(=12)和脂肪浸润(=15)。 讨论:研究结果表明,肝脏肿大和MAFLD在超重和肥胖儿童中很常见,这表明与肥胖相关的肝脏变化在生命早期就开始了。采取策略维持儿童健康体重对于降低成年后患慢性病和潜在残疾的风险至关重要。
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