Novel anti-diabetic agents in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a mini-review

• Published in: Hepatobiliary & pancreatic diseases international 2013-12, Vol.12 (6), p.584-588
• Main Authors: Olaywi, Manhal, Bhatia, Taruna, Anand, Sury, Singhal, Shashideep
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: agents; anti-diabetic; anti-diabetic agents; Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors - therapeutic use; disease; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Exenatide; fatty; Fatty Liver - drug therapy; Fatty Liver - enzymology; Fatty Liver - pathology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 - analogs & derivatives; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 - therapeutic use; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Liraglutide; liver; Liver - enzymology; Liver - pathology; non-alcoholic; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; Peptides - therapeutic use; Pyrazines - therapeutic use; Sitagliptin; Sitagliptin Phosphate; steatohepatitis; Transaminases - metabolism; Treatment Outcome; Triazoles - therapeutic use; Venoms - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 1499-3872
• DOI: 10.1016/S1499-3872(13)60092-2

BACKGROUND:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)encompasses a spectrum that ranges from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)and to cirrhosis.The recommended treatment for this disease includes measures that target obesity and insulin resistance.The present review summarizes the role of newer anti-diabetic agents in treatment of NAFLD.DATA SOURCES:PubMed,MEDLINE and Ovid databases were searched to identify human studies between January 1990and January 2013 using specified key words.Original studies that enrolled patients with a diagnosis of NAFLD or NASH and involved use of newer classes of anti-diabetic agents for a duration of at least 3 months were included.RESULTS:Out of the screened articles,four met eligibility criteria and were included in our review.The classes of newer anti-diabetic medications described were dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 analogues.CONCLUSIONS:Liraglutide and Exenatide showed improvement in transaminases as well as histology in patients with NASH.Sitagliptin showed improvement in transaminases but limited studies are there to access its effect on histology.Further studies are needed to support use of newer anti-diabetic medications in patients with NAFLD.