Diet, metabolism, and fatty liver in Hispanic/Latino adults
Official title: Epidemiology of diet, metabolism and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Hispanic/Latino adults
Funded at Albert Einstein College of Medicine · NIH-11166690 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how diet and metabolic products relate to fatty liver disease in Hispanic/Latino adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albert Einstein College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bronx, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $695,447 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK134672-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11166690 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults age 21 or older who identify as Hispanic/Latino and are willing to provide diet information, blood samples, and undergo liver imaging would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, non-Hispanic individuals, or those whose liver disease is primarily due to alcohol are not the main focus and may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses data from 16,415 adults enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos across four U.S. centers, combining detailed diet information with blood-based metabolite measurements. Researchers will pair those molecular measures with state-of-the-art imaging to detect subclinical liver fat and fibrosis so they can find early signs of NAFLD. They will examine metabolites produced by your body and gut bacteria to see which diet-related signals are linked to fatty liver and its progression. The team plans to translate those findings into low-cost risk screening tests and ideas for diet or other interventions to prevent disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce simple screening tests and practical diet-based or other prevention strategies to reduce fatty liver and its complications in Latino communities.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked diet, genetics, and metabolites to NAFLD, but few studies have combined large-scale Hispanic cohort data, advanced imaging, and metabolomics at this scale.
Where this research is happening
-
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kaplan, Robert C — Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Kaplan, Robert C
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Role of fat droplets in liver fat and inflammatory signals in NAFLD
A study at Johns Hopkins will explore how fat droplets in the liver influence molecules that drive inflammation and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adults.
-
Them1 Inhibitors to Help Treat Fatty Liver Disease
Aims to develop and test small molecule drugs that block Them1 to help people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
-
How the TET1 gene affects non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Researchers are looking at whether changes in the TET1 gene and DNA 'tagging' (methylation) play a role in adult non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
-
Hepatocellular Genetic Clues for Fatty Liver in Hispanic Adults
A large NIH grant helps researchers study why fatty liver develops in Hispanic adults and how genetics interact with lifestyle to affect risk.
-
Toxic fats, vitamin B12 loss, and AHR may drive fatty liver disease
This grant looks at how certain environmental chemicals may trigger liver damage linked to fatty liver disease and how a vitamin found in the blood could be affected.
-
Glutamine and T cells in fatty liver disease
A study explores how liver glutamine levels affect inflammatory CD4+ T cells in fatty liver disease to find potential new ways to reduce liver inflammation.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.