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Current and Potential Future Pharmacological Approaches for Non- Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Konstantinos Imprialos1, Konstantinos Stavropoulos1, Sofia Bouloukou1

  • 1Second Propaedeutic Department of Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Current Vascular Pharmacology
|July 6, 2017
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Pioglitazone and vitamin E are the only recommended treatments for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with consistent liver histology benefits. Novel drugs targeting NASH pathways show promise, with human trials pending.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Pharmacology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is prevalent and progresses from steatosis to cirrhosis and cancer.
  • Current treatments for NAFLD and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) lack consistent efficacy in improving liver histology.
  • Understanding treatment efficacy is crucial for managing this widespread liver condition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current treatment options for NAFLD and NASH.
  • To discuss preliminary findings of novel drugs under investigation for NASH.
  • To evaluate the impact of various drugs on liver histology in NAFLD/NASH patients.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical studies on NAFLD and NASH treatments.
  • Analysis of drug efficacy data, focusing on liver histology improvements.
  • Discussion of ongoing and experimental therapeutic approaches for NASH.

Main Results:

  • Pioglitazone and vitamin E are the only agents with consistent liver histology benefits, recommended by guidelines.
  • Statins show clinically meaningful results in NAFLD/NASH patients.
  • Metformin and polyunsaturated fatty acids offer biochemical benefits, but histology data are limited; novel agents show promise in preclinical studies.

Conclusions:

  • Pioglitazone and vitamin E remain the sole recommended treatments for NASH due to consistent histological improvements.
  • Emerging therapies targeting steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis pathways demonstrate promising early results.
  • Further human trials are essential to confirm the efficacy of novel NASH drugs.
Keywords:
Non-alcoholic fatty liver diseasealcohol.drugsnon-alcoholic steatohepatitispioglitazonevitamin E

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