Early-Onset MASLD Risk Higher in Low-Birth-Weight Babies

October 18, 2023 Editorial Staff 345 Views

TOPLINE:

Babies with low birth weight or those who are small for gestational age (SGA) have a sixfold increased relative risk for progressive liver disease at an early age, a nationwide Swedish study finds.

METHODOLOGY:

The study aimed to associate birth anthropometrics (birth weight, gestational age, and birth weight for gestational age) with MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, formerly known as NAFLD) and progressive liver disease in children and young people.
The Swedish nationwide ESPRESSO longitudinal cohort database (medical registries) was linked to the Swedish Medical Birth Register (maternal, birth, and infant factors).
165 biopsy-proven MASLD in people aged < 25 years matched to 717 controls in the general population were identified and analyzed.

TAKEAWAY:

Young people with MASLD were 60% male, had a mean age for MASLD of 12 years; 40% had fibrosis, and 5% had type 2 diabetes.
SGA babies were higher in the MASLD group than controls (21.2% vs 8.4%).
Low birth weight and SGA were both associated with a fourfold increased risk for MASLD in early life (inverse relationship between birth weight and early MASLD) and with a sixfold relative risk for liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in early life.

IN PRACTICE:

Tamara Milovanovic, MD, PhD, gastroenterologist and hepatologist, University of Belgrade, Serbia, said, “diagnosing fatty liver disease in young people is very concerning because they have enough time to develop all the complications and advanced chronic liver disease.”