# Epidemiology of diet, metabolism and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Hispanic/Latino adults

> **NIH NIH R01** · ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2024 · $645,272

## Abstract

Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) belongs to a cluster of metabolic conditions
that disproportionately affects Latinos, the largest US minority group. Known NAFLD
risk factors, like obesity, diabetes, poor diet, and genetic risk alleles, are more common
in Latino populations, but we don’t fully understand how these factors contribute to
Latinos’ high risks of developing NAFLD and its sequelae of non-alcoholic
steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Moreover, prior study designs have
been largely limited to case-control comparisons focused on clinically recognized
disease. This represents only the “tip of the iceberg,” ignoring the large group with
subclinical liver disease due to their abundance of risk factors. This proposal will
examine host and bacteria produced metabolic products of diet in a large study sample
of Latinos (Hispanic Community Health Study – Study of Latinos, N=16,415 adults from
four US centers) with state-of-the-art imaging of subclinical liver fibrosis and
steatosis. Based upon our results, diet and metabolome features that predict NAFLD
may be translated into low-cost risk screening tests. By improving understanding of
specific mechanisms, the study may also help to design interventions to prevent
NAFLD, by diet modifications or pharmacologic or non-pharmacologic interventions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10930071
- **Project number:** 5R01DK134672-02
- **Recipient organization:** ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert D Burk
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $645,272
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-15 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10930071

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10930071, Epidemiology of diet, metabolism and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Hispanic/Latino adults (5R01DK134672-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10930071. Licensed CC0.

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