Journal of endocrinological investigation

How GLP-1 receptor agonists may work in fatty liver disease linked to metabolism and what this means for treatment

Updated

Abstract

Clinical studies indicate reductions in liver fat content and improvements in liver enzyme profiles associated with GLP-1 receptor agonists in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

  • Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may have therapeutic potential for treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its progression to steatohepatitis.
  • Reductions in liver fat content and favorable histologic changes were observed, particularly with semaglutide and multi-agonist therapies in selected populations.
  • Improvements in liver enzyme profiles were also noted in clinical studies involving GLP-1RAs.
  • Preclinical studies suggest benefits may arise from their effects on liver fat processing, inflammation, and the gut-liver interaction.
  • The exact mechanisms—whether direct effects on the liver or indirect systemic effects—remain not fully understood.

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Competing interests

Declarations. Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
PubMed

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