J Korean Diabetes.  2022 Jun;23(2):83-88. 10.4093/jkd.2022.23.2.83.

Pharmacological Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Antidiabetic Agents

• Kim KS

• KMID: 2531491
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4093/jkd.2022.23.2.83

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorders and is associated with various metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). There are no approved drugs for NAFLD, and the only approved treatment option is weight reduction. However, it is not easy to maintain weight loss by lifestyle modification alone; pharmacological treatments are helpful in this regard. As insulin resistance plays an important role in the development of NAFLD, many antidiabetic drugs have been evaluated for treatment of NAFLD. Pioglitazone could be a first-line option to improve nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in patients with T2DM to produce some improvement in fibrosis. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists show evidence of improving NAFLD/NASH with fibrosis. Metformin and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors are not recommended for treating NAFLD in patients with T2DM. Evidence that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors improve NAFLD/NASH with fibrosis in patients with T2DM is emerging.

Keyword

Antidiabetic agents; Diabetes mellitus; Metabolic diseases; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Treatment

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