Drugs improving insulin resistance for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and/or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Metformin may normalize transaminase levels and liver echographic response in fatty liver

A Cochrane review [withdrawn from publication] included 3 studies with a total of 166 subjects. In two trials, metformin was associated with significantly higher normalization of serum alanine aminotransferase (OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.27 to 6.31 versus diet and OR 7.75, 95% CI 2.37 to 25.35 versus vitamin E) and improvement of liver echographic response (OR 5.25, 95% CI 1.09 to 25.21). An improvement of fatty infiltration was observed in a limited number of patients undergoing liver biopsy. In the single pioglitazone trial, a statistically significant improvement of NASH histology was demonstrated.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by poor methodology of the studies and sparse data.

Ədəbiyyat

1. Angelico F, Burattin M, Alessandri C et al. WITHDRAWN Drugs improving insulin resistance for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and/or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007;(1):CD005166.