Fish Oil and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Study
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2014-09-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States has tripled
from 5% to 15%. Major consequences of obesity include insulin resistance, type- 2 diabetes,
cardiovascular disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The liver pathology
encompasses a range from isolated fatty liver to advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis and end-stage
liver disease. Weight loss, particularly if gradual, may lead to improvement in liver
histology. Unfortunately, few patients in the pediatric population are willing to follow
these recommendations and achieve weight loss. Medical treatment directed specifically at the
liver disease has only recently been investigated and approved in patients with NAFLD. The
beneficial effects of fish oil are attributed to its high concentrations of n - 3 fatty
acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are major regulators
of pathways that participate in decreased production and break down of triglycerides and
fatty acids in the liver. We hypothesize that children with obesity related NAFLD will
normalize elevated liver enzymes, plasma lipid levels, and attenuate insulin resistance with
supplements of n-3 fatty acids. If this hypothesis is proven true, then fish oil could be
used to treat NAFLD and to prevent the deterioration of fatty liver into end-stage liver
disease.