Meta-analysis of the effects of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients with type 2 diabetes
Abstract
Background and aim: Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i), by way of their unique mode of action, present an attractive strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which often coexist and may lead to severe complications. However, the evidence for treatment with SGLT-2i is limited to small heterogeneous studies. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to deduce the effects of SGLT-2i in NAFLD with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Methods: A web-based search identified nine randomized controlled trials from the Cochrane Library, Embase, and PubMed for this meta-analysis. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software version 3 was used to calculate the effect size.
Result: The outcomes of interest were analyzed from a pooled population of 11 369 patients-7281 on SGLT-2i and 4088 in the control arm. SGLT-2i therapy produced a statistically significant improvement in alanine aminotransferase [standardised mean difference (SDM), -0.21, 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.32 to -0.10, P P P P P < 0.01) in the SGLT-2i arm.
Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides a convincing signal that SGLT-2i have a salutary effect on NAFLD in type 2 diabetes (T2D), probably driven by an improvement of glycemia and body weight, which in turn attenuates hepatic inflammation and hepatic fat accumulation.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 11 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Strategy for Mitigating DKA Risk in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes on Adjunctive Treatment with SGLT Inhibitors: A STICH Protocol
- Glucoraphanin: a broccoli sprout extract that ameliorates obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance
- SGLT2 Inhibitors in Heart Failure: Targeted Metabolomics and Energetic Metabolism
- Mechanisms of blood pressure reduction with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors
- Sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors: beyond glycaemic control
- Decoding the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on cardiac arrhythmias in heart failure
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.