High Prevalence of Elevated Alanine Aminotransferase in American Indian Children Seen in a Pediatric Weight Management Clinic

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) can indicate risk of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease. However, there is little data about the prevalence of elevated ALT in American Indian (AI) children. METHODS: Baseline data from children attending the pediatric weight management clinic were used to describe the prevalence of elevated ALT, stratified by race and ethnicity. RESULTS: The prevalence of elevated ALT was higher among children who were male, were older, had higher body mass index Z scores, and were non-Hispanic and AI. DISCUSSION: In this clinic, AI children with overweight and obesity had a disproportionately high prevalence of elevated ALT; root causes of this disparity should be identified.