STUDY | COUNTRY | POPULATION | STUDY DESIGN | METHODOLOGY USED TO ASSESS NAFLD | OUTCOME |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nobili et al,28 2013 | Italy | 60 children with NAFLD confirmed on biopsy | Received 250 or 500 mg of DHA vs placebo for 24 mo | Ultrasonography | Lower odds of severe hepatic steatosis |
Boyraz et al,29 2015 | Turkey | 108 obese children with steatosis revealed on ultrasound and with elevated transaminase levels | Received 1000 mg of PUFA (combination of 380 mg of EPA and 200 mg of DHA) per d vs placebo for 12 mo | Ultrasonography | 68% vs 40% had improvement in steatosis in the PUFA and placebo groups, respectively |
Pacifico et al,30 2015 | Italy | 51 overweight or obese children with NAFLD confirmed on biopsy | Received 250 mg of DHA vs placebo for 6 mo | MRI-PDFF | 53% vs 23% had a reduction in fat fraction in the DHA and placebo groups, respectively |
Janczyk et al,31 2015 | Poland | 64 overweight or obese children with steatosis revealed on ultrasound and with elevated transaminase levels | Received 450–1300 mg of omega-3 fatty acids (combination of 177.5–532.5 mg of EPA and 267–800 mg of DHA) vs placebo for 6 mo | Ultrasonography | No differences between the groups |
DHA—docosahexaenoic acid, EPA—eicosapentaenoic acid, MRI-PDFF—magnetic resonance imaging–derived proton density fat fraction, NAFLD—nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, PUFA—polyunsaturated fatty acid.