Do Patients with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Benefit from Weight Loss?

Overweight or obese NASH patients who lost 7% of their body weight achieved significant histological improvements.

No treatment has been approved for patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), one of the most common causes of liver disease in the U.S. Thiazolidinediones have been shown to reduce steatosis in patients with NASH (JW Gastroenterol Feb 27 2009), but these agents have adverse effects that could make long-term use problematic. Given that NASH is strongly associated with obesity, weight reduction is usually recommended for NASH patients (JW Gastroenterol Mar 27 2009), but strong evidence demonstrating the efficacy of this approach is lacking.

To further examine the effects of weight loss in this setting, investigators conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled trial involving 31 overweight or obese patients (body-mass index, 25–40 …

Reviewing Author

Atif Zaman, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Atif Zaman, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose