ISSN:
1365-2036
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Background : Insulin sensitizing agents may be useful in treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.Aim : A pilot study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of metformin in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.Methods : In an open labelled study, patients with histologically confirmed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were given metformin (20 mg/kg) for 1 year. Insulin resistance (by log homeostasis assessment model analysis for insulin resistance and Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index) and post-treatment hepatic histology were compared with pre-treatment histology.Results : Fifteen patients completed 1 year of treatment. During the initial 3 months, there was improvement in alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase (P-value 0.01 and 0.02, respectively) along with improvement in insulin sensitivity. However, after 3 months, there was no further improvement in insulin sensitivity and there was gradual rise in aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase back to pre-treatment levels. Among the 10 patients with post-treatment biopsy, three (33%), showed improvement in steatosis, two (20%) showed improvement in inflammation score and one (10%) showed improvement in fibrosis.Conclusion : Metformin treatment was associated with only a transient improvement in liver chemistries. A progressive, sustainable reduction in insulin sensitivity was not noted during treatment.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2036.2004.02025.x
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