To provide evidence-based recommendations regarding the diagnosis and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to endocrinologists, primary care ...clinicians, health care professionals, and other stakeholders.
The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology conducted literature searches for relevant articles published from January 1, 2010, to November 15, 2021. A task force of medical experts developed evidence-based guideline recommendations based on a review of clinical evidence, expertise, and informal consensus, according to established American Association of Clinical Endocrinology protocol for guideline development.
This guideline includes 34 evidence-based clinical practice recommendations for the diagnosis and management of persons with NAFLD and/or NASH and contains 385 citations that inform the evidence base.
NAFLD is a major public health problem that will only worsen in the future, as it is closely linked to the epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Given this link, endocrinologists and primary care physicians are in an ideal position to identify persons at risk on to prevent the development of cirrhosis and comorbidities. While no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medications to treat NAFLD are currently available, management can include lifestyle changes that promote an energy deficit leading to weight loss; consideration of weight loss medications, particularly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists; and bariatric surgery, for persons who have obesity, as well as some diabetes medications, such as pioglitazone and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, for those with type 2 diabetes mellitus and NASH. Management should also promote cardiometabolic health and reduce the increased cardiovascular risk associated with this complex disease.
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most common liver disease in industrialized countries. NASH is a progressive disease that can lead to cirrhosis, cancer, and death, and there are currently ...no approved therapies. The development of NASH in animal models requires intact TLR9, but how the TLR9 pathway is activated in NASH is not clear. Our objectives in this study were to identify NASH-associated ligands for TLR9, establish the cellular requirement for TLR9, and evaluate the role of obesity-induced changes in TLR9 pathway activation. We demonstrated that plasma from mice and patients with NASH contains high levels of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and intact mitochondria and has the ability to activate TLR9. Most of the plasma mtDNA was contained in microparticles (MPs) of hepatocyte origin, and removal of these MPs from plasma resulted in a substantial decrease in TLR9 activation capacity. In mice, NASH development in response to a high-fat diet required TLR9 on lysozyme-expressing cells, and a clinically applicable TLR9 antagonist blocked the development of NASH when given prophylactically and therapeutically. These data demonstrate that activation of the TLR9 pathway provides a link between the key metabolic and inflammatory phenotypes in NASH.
We sought to determine whether obese adolescents with high-“normal” 2-h post-oral glucose tolerance test glucose levels display defects in insulin secretion and sensitivity associated with future ...development of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Insulin sensitivity was measured by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp and insulin secretion by applying mathematical modeling during the hyperglycemic clamp in 60 normal glucose tolerance (NGT) obese adolescents, divided into three groups based on the 2-h glucose values (<100, 100–119, 120–139 mg/dL), and in 21 IGT obese adolescents. Glucose tolerance was reevaluated after 2 years. Insulin sensitivity decreased significantly across 2-h glucose NGT categories, while the highest NGT category and IGT group were similar. First-phase insulin secretion decreased across NGT categories, while no difference was found between the highest NGT group and IGT subjects. Second-phase secretion was similar across all NGT and IGT groups. The disposition index (CDI) decreased across NGT categories, while no difference was observed between the highest NGT and IGT subjects. Age and CDI were the best predictors of 2-h glucose after two years. Across rising categories of normal 2-h glucose levels, NGT obese adolescents exhibit significant impairment of β-cell function relative to insulin sensitivity associated with the development of IGT.
ABSTRACTNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a highly prevalent chronic liver disease that occurs in the setting of insulin resistance and increased adiposity. It has rapidly evolved into the ...most common liver disease seen in the pediatric population and is a management challenge for general pediatric practitioners, subspecialists, and for health systems. In this guideline, the expert committee on NAFLD reviewed and summarized the available literature, formulating recommendations to guide screening and clinical care of children with NAFLD.
We examined the relationship between insulin clearance, insulin sensitivity, and β-cell function and the longitudinal effect of insulin clearance on β-cell function in lean and obese ...insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant adolescents. A hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic and a hyperglycemic clamp were performed in 110 youths to quantify hepatic and peripheral clearance, insulin sensitivity, and β-cell function (disposition index, DI
). Participants underwent an oral glucose tolerance test at baseline and after 2 years to assess glucose tolerance and oral β-cell function (oDI
) and were sorted into four groups (lean and obese normal glucose tolerance, insulin sensitive, insulin resistant, and impaired glucose tolerance). Insulin sensitivity was defined based on the median of insulin stimulated glucose disposal (
) measured during the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Lean and obese insulin-sensitive participants did not differ with respect to hepatic and peripheral clearance or for insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity was linearly correlated with whole-body insulin clearance. Hepatic insulin extraction at baseline acted as an independent determinant of β-cell function at follow-up. The decline in insulin sensitivity, even in the absence of an impairment of glucose tolerance, is associated with lowering of hepatic insulin clearance in obese youth, which in turn may contribute to the decline in β-cell function over time.
To compare cardiovascular risk factor clustering (CVRFC) in severely obese youth with those with lower degrees of obesity.
We divided a childhood obesity clinic derived cohort into the degrees of ...obesity (class I, II, and III) and added a “class IV” category corresponding to >160% of the 95th centile of body mass index (BMI) for age and sex. In a cross-sectional analysis, we investigated the presence of CVRFC in 2244 participants; in 621 who were followed longitudinally, we investigated the determinants of endpoint CVRFC.
Class IV obesity was associated with increased risk for CVRFC compared with overweight (OR = 17.26, P < .001) at a similar magnitude to class III obesity (OR = 17.26, P < .001). Male children were at greater risk for presence of CVRFC (OR = 1.57, P = .03) compared with female children. Adiponectin (OR = 0.90, P < .001) and leptin levels (OR = 0.98, P = .008) were protective, independent of degree of obesity. Baseline class IV obesity was associated with increased risk compared with overweight of having CVRFC at follow-up (OR = 5.76, P = .001), to a similar extent as class III obesity (OR = 5.36, P = .001). Changes in the degree of obesity were significant predictors of CVRFC on follow-up (OR = 1.04, P < .01 per percent BMI change).
The metabolic risk associated with obesity in childhood is conferred prior to reaching class IV obesity. An individualized risk stratification approach in children with severe obesity should be based on presence of complications rather than simple BMI cutoffs.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01967849.
Abstract
Context
The oral minimal model is a widely accepted noninvasive tool to quantify both β-cell responsiveness and insulin sensitivity (SI) from glucose, C-peptide, and insulin concentrations ...during a 3-hour 9-point oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
Objective
Here, we aimed to validate a 2-hour 7-point protocol against the 3-hour OGTT and to test how variation in early sampling frequency impacts estimates of β-cell responsiveness and SI.
Methods
We conducted a secondary analysis on 15 lean youth with stage 1 type 1 diabetes (T1D; ≥ 2 islet autoantibodies with no dysglycemia) who underwent a 3-hour 9-point OGTT. The oral minimal model was used to quantitate β-cell responsiveness (φtotal) and insulin sensitivity (SI), allowing assessment of β-cell function by the disposition index (DI = φtotal × SI). Seven- and 5-point 2-hour OGTT protocols were tested against the 3-hour 9-point gold standard to determine agreement between estimates of φtotal and its dynamic and static components, SI, and DI across different sampling strategies.
Results
The 2-hour estimates for the disposition index exhibited a strong correlation with 3-hour measures (r = 0.975; P < .001) with similar results for β-cell responsiveness and SI (r = 0.997 and r = 0.982; P < .001, respectively). The agreement of the 3 estimates between the 7-point 2-hour and 9-point 3-hour protocols fell within the 95% CI on the Bland-Altman grid with a median difference of 16.9% (−35.3 to 32.5), 0.2% (−0.6 to 1.3), and 14.9% (−1.4 to 28.3) for DI, φtotal, and SI. Conversely, the 5-point protocol did not provide reliable estimates of φ dynamic and static components.
Conclusion
The 2-hour 7-point OGTT is reliable in individuals with stage 1 T1D for assessment of β-cell responsiveness, SI, and DI. Incorporation of these analyses into current 2-hour diabetes staging and monitoring OGTTs offers the potential to more accurately quantify risk of progression in the early stages of T1D.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated whether the triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio is associated with insulin resistance (IR) in a large multiethnic cohort of obese youths.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND ...METHODS
Obese youths (1,452) had an oral glucose tolerance test and a fasting lipid profile. Insulin sensitivity was estimated using the whole body insulin sensitivity index (WBISI) and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-IR and evaluated, in a subgroup of 146 obese youths, by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. The cohort was divided by ethnicity (612 whites, 357 Hispanics, and 483 African Americans) and then stratified into ethnicity-specific tertiles of TG/HDL-C ratio. Differences across tertiles were evaluated, and the association between the TG/HDL-C ratio and insulin sensitivity (WBISI) was defined by a multiple stepwise linear regression analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was determined to calculate the TG/HDL-C ratio cutoff to identify insulin-resistant subjects by ethnicity.
RESULTS
In each ethnic group and across rising tertiles of TG/HDL-C ratio, insulin sensitivity (WBISI) progressively decreased, whereas 2-h glucose and the AUC-glucose progressively increased. The cutoff for TG/HDL-C ratio was 2.27, and the odds of presenting with IR, in youths with TG/HDL-C ratio higher than the cutoff, was 6.023 (95% CI 2.798–12.964; P < 0.001) in white girls and boys, whereas for both Hispanics and African Americans the AUC-ROCs were not significant, thus not allowing the calculation of an optimal cutoff TG/HDL-C value.
CONCLUSIONS
The TG/HDL-C ratio is associated with IR mainly in white obese boys and girls and thus may be used with other risk factors to identify subjects at increased risk of IR-driven morbidity.
Context:
Adipocytes represent an important insulin-responsive tissue taking an active part in glucose metabolism.
Objective:
This study sought to assess adipose tissue insulin resistance (IR) across ...the spectrum of glucose tolerance and to test its relation with free fatty acid (FFA) suppression during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
Design and Setting:
A cross-sectional analysis of a pediatric clinic–derived cohort of obese adolescents.
Patients or Other Participants:
Participants age 7–20 y with a body mass index that exceeded the 95th percentile for their age and sex.
Intervention(s):
A standard oral glucose tolerance test.
Main Outcome Measures:
The adipose tissue insulin resistance index (calculated as the product of fasting insulin and FFA concentrations) (Adipose IR) and the area under curve of FFAs during the OGTT were compared between glucose tolerance categories.
Results:
A total of 962 obese children and adolescents participated in this study. Adipose IR significantly increased across glucose tolerance categories (P for trend < .001). Within the normal glucose tolerance participants, an increase in adipose IR was observed related to an increase in 2-hr glucose levels. In a subsample of participants who underwent abdominal imaging for determination of lipid partitioning (n = 115), a tight relation of visceral fat (r = 0.34; P < .001) and the visceral/sc fat ratio (r = 0.55; P < .001) with the Adipose IR index was evident. Greater area under the curve FFAs (lower FFA suppression) during the OGTT was evident with worsening glucose tolerance (P for trend < .001). Glucose tolerance category, degree of obesity (body mass index–z score), IL-6, and low adiponectin emerged as significant predictors of the Adipose IR.
Conclusions:
Adipose IR is associated with reduced suppression of FFAs during the OGTT and with an altered adipocytokine profile. The negative relation with insulin secretion deserves further longitudinal investigation in the context of deteriorating glucose tolerance.
“Adipose tissue insulin resistance is associated with reduced suppression of free fatty acids during the oral glucose tolerance test and with an altered adipocytokine profile. Adipose tissue insulin resistance is also linked to abdominal lipid partitioning and the circulating lipid profile.”
... waist circumference in children, consistent with the situation in adults, is an independent predictor of insulin resistance, lipid levels, and blood pressure,7,12 Moreover, in young people who ...are obese and have similar body-mass index, insulin sensitivity is lower in those with high amounts of visceral adipose tissue than in those with low amounts.
PDF
