Exenatide decreases liver fat content and epicardial adipose tissue in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes: a prospective randomized clinical trial using magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy.

Aim: To conduct a prospective randomized trial to investigate the effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues on ectopic fat stores.

Methods: A total of 44 obese subjects with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled on oral antidiabetic drugs were randomly assigned to receive exenatide or reference treatment according to French guidelines. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), myocardial triglyceride content (MTGC), hepatic triglyceride content (HTGC) and pancreatic triglyceride content (PTGC) were assessed 45 min after a standardized meal with 3T magnetic resonance imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy before and after 26 weeks of treatment.