Fish Oil and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Study

Study 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. The investigators 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.

Primary Outcome

To evaluate the number of participants (young adults with obesity related NAFLD) that will normalize their elevated liver enzyme levels (normalized defined as having liver enzyme levels within a normal laboratory range) with supplements of fish oil (n-3 FA containing eicosapentanoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid).

Conditions Studied

Interventions

• DRUG Fish Oil Supplementation
• DRUG Placebo Supplementation

Study Locations (1)