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Early menarche is associated with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in adulthood
Author(s) -
Yi Kyung Hee,
Hwang Jin Soon,
Lim Se Won,
Lee Jun Ah,
Kim Dong Ho,
Lim Jung Sub
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/ped.13422
Subject(s) - medicine , fatty liver , menarche , alcoholic liver disease , disease , physiology , cirrhosis
Background The aim of this study was to examine the association between early menarche (<12 years) and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in premenopausal women and to explore whether it is mediated by adult obesity and insulin resistance. Methods We analyzed data of premenopausal women, aged ≥15 years, from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–2009). We divided the women into three groups: early menarche, reference (12.00–15.99 years), and late menarche. The presence of NAFLD was determined using hepatic steatosis index >36.0. Results Of the 4,387 women evaluated, 673 (15.4%) met the criteria for NAFLD. The prevalence of NAFLD was higher in both women with early and late menarche compared with the reference (early, 23.4%; reference, 14.0%; late, 19.9%, P < 0.001). After adjustment of confounders including age, the OR for NAFLD in early menarche compared with the reference was 3.04 (95%CI: 1.99–4.65). Further adjustment of mediators, such as central obesity or insulin resistance, attenuated the association to 1.91–2.17. There was no association, however, between late menarche and NAFLD after adjustment of confounders. Conclusions Early menarche was associated with an increased risk of NAFLD in young and middle‐aged premenopausal Korean women.