Semaglutide in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis: A Narrative Review

Dec 1, 2025Cureus

Semaglutide and Its Role in Fatty Liver Disease Linked to Metabolic Problems

AI simplified

GLP-1 Therapies on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Semaglutide is associated with the resolution of steatohepatitis and improvement in hepatic fibrosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

Semaglutide is effective in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and has shown benefits beyond glycemic control.
It may lead to weight reduction and reduced cardiovascular risk.
Semaglutide is the only GLP-1 receptor agonist available for oral therapy.
It is approved for non-cirrhotic MASH with moderate-to-advanced fibrosis alongside resmetirom.
Safety concerns include gastrointestinal issues, hypoglycemia, and rare pancreaticobiliary events, but human risk is considered minimal.

AI simplified

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an incretin hormone, plays a crucial role in glucose homeostasis by stimulating insulin secretion, suppressing glucagon release, and delaying gastric emptying. Its therapeutic potential was long realized, leading to the development of the first GLP-1 receptor agonist, exenatide, followed by liraglutide, dulaglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide. Semaglutide is available as a weekly subcutaneous injection with high bioavailability. Semaglutide is the only GLP-1 agonist available for oral therapy, used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Semaglutide has demonstrated broad clinical efficacy beyond glycemic control, including weight reduction, cardiovascular risk reduction, and, most recently, in the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Semaglutide therapy is associated with the resolution of steatohepatitis and improvement in hepatic fibrosis in patients with MASH. Alongside resmetirom, semaglutide is currently approved for the treatment of non-cirrhotic MASH with moderate-to-advanced fibrosis. Safety considerations include gastrointestinal intolerance, hypoglycemia, rare pancreaticobiliary events, and theoretical concerns of thyroid C-cell tumors, though human risk remains minimal. In summary, semaglutide extends the armamentarium of the hepatologist against the most common liver disease worldwide.

Full Text

We can’t show the full text here under this license. Use the link below to read it at the source.

View full text ↗

Semaglutide in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the glp-1 therapies brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the glp-1 therapies brief