The Emerging Role of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for the Management of NAFLD

The burden of cirrhosis from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States. This calls for greater awareness among endocrinologists, who often see but may miss the diagnosis in adults with obesity or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) who are at the highest risk. At the same time, recent studies suggest that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are beneficial vs nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in this population. This minireview aims to assist endocrinologists to recognize the condition and recent work on the role of GLP-1RAs in NAFLD/NASH.

Evidence from observational studies, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analyses.

Endocrinologists should lead multidisciplinary teams to implement recent consensus statements on NAFLD that call for screening and treatment of clinically significant fibrosis to prevent cirrhosis, especially in the high-risk groups (ie, people with obesity, prediabetes, or T2D). With no US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved agents, weight loss is central to successful management, with pharmacological treatment options limited today to vitamin E (in people without T2D) and diabetes medications that reverse steatohepatitis, such as pioglitazone or GLP-1RA. Recently, the benefit of GLP-1RAs in NAFLD, suggested from earlier trials, has been confirmed in adults with biopsy-proven NASH. In 2021, the FDA also approved semaglutide for obesity management.

A paradigm change is developing between the endocrinologist's greater awareness about their critical role to curve the epidemic of NAFLD and new clinical care pathways that include a broader use of GLP-1RAs in the management of these complex patients.