Fatty Liver Disease Prevalence in Obese Children and Adolescents in Bangladesh

Strategic Insights -

A new study has shed light on the prevalence and characteristics of fatty liver disease in obese children and adolescents in Bangladesh. The research, published in the Mymensingh Medical Journal, examined 79 children and adolescents with simple obesity between January 2018 and June 2018 at the Paediatric Endocrine Outpatient Department of the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM) General Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study found that 30.4% of the patients had fatty liver disease, with the majority (54.2%) having mild fatty liver disease, followed by moderate fatty liver disease (41.6%), and only one child with severe fatty liver disease.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study was conducted among 79 children and adolescents in Bangladesh with simple obesity, aged 8 to 18 years, between January 2018 and June 2018.
  • 30.4% of the patients had fatty liver disease, with mild fatty liver disease being the most prevalent (54.2%).
  • Children and adolescents with fatty liver disease had significantly higher fasting blood sugar (p=0.031) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) levels (p=0.001) compared to those without fatty liver disease.
  • Triglyceride levels (p=0.033) and diastolic hypertension (p=0.016) were significantly higher in children with moderate fatty liver disease compared to those with mild fatty liver disease.
  • There was no significant difference in anthropometric measurements among children with different grades of fatty liver disease.
  • The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr. Sharmin Mahbuba, Assistant Professor of Paediatric Endocrinology at the Bangladesh Medical University.
  • The research was reportedly peer-reviewed and published in the Mymensingh Medical Journal.

Statistics:

  • 30.4% of the 79 patients had fatty liver disease.
  • 54.2% of the patients with fatty liver disease had mild disease.
  • 41.6% of the patients with fatty liver disease had moderate disease.
  • 1 child (1.3%) had severe fatty liver disease.
  • Fasting blood sugar levels were significantly higher (p=0.031) in children with fatty liver disease.
  • Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) levels were significantly higher (p=0.001) in children with fatty liver disease.
  • Triglyceride levels were significantly higher (p=0.033) in children with moderate fatty liver disease.
  • Diastolic hypertension was significantly higher (p=0.016) in children with moderate fatty liver disease.

Sources:

  • Comparison of Metabolic Profile and Anthropometric Measurements among Obese Children and Adolescents with Different Grades of Fatty Liver Disease: An Experience in a Tertiary Care Centre in Bangladesh. Mymensingh Medical Journal, 2025;34(4):1162-1169.
  • NewsRx. New Findings in the Area of Fatty Liver Disease Reported from S. Mahbuba and Colleagues (Comparison of Metabolic Profile and Anthropometric Measurements among Obese Children and Adolescents with Different Grades of Fatty Liver Disease: An ...). Pediatrics Week. October 18, 2025; p 66.