Association between weight loss agents and elevated liver enzymes: a population-based cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Pharmacovigilance
• Public Health

Background:

• Widespread use of body weight control agents necessitates understanding their potential adverse effects.
• Previous documentation of liver enzyme elevation linked to these agents is limited to case reports.
• Population-level data is needed to assess the association between weight loss agents and liver enzyme elevation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the use of weight loss agents and elevated liver enzymes in a large population.
• To identify specific types of weight loss agents associated with liver enzyme elevation.
• To stratify findings by demographic factors such as sex, age, and body mass index.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data (2013-2019).
• Inclusion of 36,259 participants over 20 years of age with no history of hepatitis, cancer, or renal failure.
• Multiple logistic regression models were used to analyze associations, adjusting for confounding factors and stratifying by sex, age, and BMI.

Main Results:

• Weight loss agent use was associated with liver enzyme elevation in men (aOR: 1.36) and participants under 40 years (aOR: 1.44).
• Increased number of weight loss agent types correlated with higher odds of liver enzyme elevation (1 agent: aOR 1.31; ≥2 agents: aOR 1.93).
• In men, traditional medicines (aOR: 1.96) and dietary supplements (aOR: 1.33) showed significant associations with elevated liver enzymes.

Conclusions:

• An association exists between weight loss agents and liver enzyme elevation, particularly in men.
• Traditional herbal medicines and dietary supplements are key contributors to this association in men.
• Further research using higher levels of evidence is required to confirm these findings.