Medicina, Vol. 61, Pages 1850: The Impact of Antidiabetic Therapy on Liver Injury, Steatosis, and Fibrosis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease

Medicina doi: 10.3390/medicina61101850

Authors:
Oana Albai
Adina Braha
Romulus Timar
Sandra Lazăr
Simona Popescu
Bogdan Timar

Background and Objectives: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is closely linked with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and obesity. Despite its growing prevalence, effective pharmacological interventions remain limited, with antidiabetic agents such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) showing emerging promise. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of different antidiabetic therapies on hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, and cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with T2D and MASLD from Romania. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study involving 256 patients with T2D and MASLD followed up for 6 months. Assessed parameters included anthropometry, glycemic indices, lipid profile, renal function, liver enzymes, and non-invasive evaluation of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. Patients were 53% women, had a median age of 63 years, a median BMI of 32.2 kg/m2, a median baseline CAP of 281 dB/m, a FibroScan of 8.9 kPa, and an HbA1c of 8.0%. Results: CAP decreased significantly from 281 to 245 dB/m, p < 0.0001; FibroScan from 8.9 to 8.0 kPa, p < 0.0001. The largest changes were observed in the GLP-1 RA subgroup (CAP −50 dB/m, FibroScan −1.0 kPa, weight −8.0 kg, HbA1c −0.7%), and in the SGLT2i subgroup (CAP −30.5 dB/m, FibroScan −0.7 kPa, weight −4.0 kg, HbA1c −0.5%). In regression analysis, independent factors associated with CAP improvement included GLP-1 RA therapy (β = 44.5, 95% CI 38.3–50.6, p < 0.0001), SGLT2i therapy (β = 23.4, 95% CI 15.7–31.1, p < 0.0001), and ≥10% weight loss (β = 23.2, 95% CI 12–34.4, p < 0.0001). For FibroScan improvement, GLP-1 RA (β = 1.0, 95% CI 0.8–1.2, p < 0.0001) and SGLT2i (β = 0.5, 95% CI 0.3–0.7, p < 0.0001) therapies were both significant. Conclusions: Antidiabetic therapy, particularly GLP-1 RA, was significantly associated with improvement in hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, and cardiometabolic risk in T2D patients with MASLD beyond the weight reduction effect. However, weight loss and lipid modulation enhance these benefits, supporting the development of integrated therapeutic strategies for this high-risk population.

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