Relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and bone mineral density in adolescents

Liver metabolism is strongly linked to bone metabolism, and a significant correlation between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and bone mineral density (BMD) in adults has been demonstrated. However, the current relationship between NAFLD and BMD in the adolescent population remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the specific relationship between NAFLD and BMD in adolescents aged 12 to 19 years in the United States. The quantitative relationship between NAFLD and total BMD was investigated using multivariate logistic regression and smoothed fitted curve curves based on multiperspective data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). A total of 740 adolescents were included in this study after excluding unusable samples. The results showed that NAFLD was positively associated with total BMD in adolescents. The results of the subgroup analysis showed that this positive association was mainly found in boys, whites and blacks. The association was not significant in girls, Mexican Americans and other racial groups. Among US adolescents, there was a significant positive association between NAFLD and total BMD, and this relationship varied by gender and race.