Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease in children: a modern view of the pathogenesis, clinical features, methods of diagnosis and treatment

Background: Obesity is one of the most common diseases in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 890 million people were suffering from it in 2022. Among them, the proportion of childhood obesity is 8,24%. Over the past 32 years, the proportion of childhood obesity has increased by 6% and 160 million children were suffering from it by 2022. According to the dynamics of the prevalence of the disease, WHO assumes that by 2035 the number of children and adolescents from 5 to 19 years old who are obese or overweight will increase to 61% in boys and 75% in girls. According to WHO data, the incidence of childhood obesity in Russia ranged from 4,45% to 8,4% by 2022. In the structure of morbidity, males predominate over females in the ratio 2:1. One of the most common comorbid pathologies in obesity is metabolically associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), the prevalence of which, to date, cannot be estimated due to insufficiently accurate research methods. At the moment, there are no clinical recommendations that would standardize the approach to the diagnosis and treatment of this comorbid pathology, and the question of the terminology of the disease is still relevant. Early detection and therapy of MAFLD will help prevent the development of irreversible liver changes.