Metformin in the treatment of patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Aliment Pharmacol Ther

Department of Gastroenterology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.

Published: March 2004

AI Article Synopsis

  • Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is linked to increased insulin resistance, prompting research into metformin as a potential treatment.
  • Thirty-six patients were split into two groups: one received metformin alongside a restricted diet, while the other had only dietary treatment for 6 months.
  • Results showed that the metformin group experienced significantly greater improvements in insulin levels and related biochemical markers, suggesting metformin may enhance liver health in NASH patients.

Article Abstract

Background: Increased insulin resistance is the major pathogenic mechanism in the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Aim: To investigate the therapeutic effect of metformin, a well-known insulin-sensitizing agent, in the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Methods: Thirty-six patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis were randomized into two groups. The first group was given lipid and calorie-restricted dietary treatment alone, and the second group was given metformin 850 mg b.d. plus dietary treatment, for 6 months. The changes in biochemical, sonographic and histological parameters were compared.

Results: The mean serum alanine/aspartate aminotransferase, insulin and C-peptide levels decreased and the index of insulin resistance improved significantly from baseline in the group given metformin. The mean changes in these parameters in the metformin group were significantly greater than those in the group given dietary treatment alone. Although more patients in the metformin group showed improvement in the necro-inflammatory activity, compared with the group given dietary treatment alone, no significant differences in necro-inflammatory activity or fibrosis were seen between the groups.

Conclusion: The data suggest that improvement of the insulin sensitivity with metformin may improve the liver disease in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2036.2004.01888.xDOI Listing

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