Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32153507›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in endocrinology2020

Effect of Weight Loss Medications on Hepatic Steatosis and Steatohepatitis: A Systematic Review.

Chelsea S Pan, Takara L Stanley

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
4.2field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Chelsea S PanMetabolism Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Takara L StanleyMetabolism Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Harvard University · USMassachusetts General Hospital · US

Funding

ROLE OF DIETARY CONSTITUENTS ON GENE EXPRESSION IN INTESTINAL EPITHELIUMP30DK040561 · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 1994 to 2025
$6.0M
NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK040561
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common comorbidity in individuals with obesity. Although multiple pharmacotherapeutics are in development, currently there are limited strategies specifically targeting NAFLD. This systematic review summarizes the existing literature on hepatic effects of medications used for weight loss. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists are the best-studied in this regard, and evidence consistently demonstrates reduction in liver fat content, sometimes accompanied by improvements in histological features of steatohepatitis and reductions in serum markers of hepatic injury such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT). It remains unclear whether these benefits are independent of the weight loss caused by these agents. Literature is limited regarding effects of orlistat, but a small number of reports suggest that orlistat reduces liver fat content and improves histologic features of NASH, benefits which may also be driven primarily by weight loss. A sizeable body of literature on hepatic effects of metformin yields mixed results, with a probability of modest benefit, but no consistent signal for strong benefit. There are insufficient data on hepatic effects of topiramate, phentermine, naltrexone, bupropion, and lorcaserin. Finally, a few studies to date suggest that sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors may reduce liver fat content and cause modest reductions in ALT, but further study is needed to better characterize these effects. Based on available data, GLP-1 agonists have the strongest evidence base demonstrating beneficial effects on NAFLD, but it is not clear if any weight loss medication has effects on NAFLD superior to those of nutritional modification and exercise alone.

Indexed as

Anti-Obesity AgentsFatty LiverHumansNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseasePrognosisWeight LossAnti-Obesity AgentsGLP-1 agonistsmetforminNAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease)obesityorlistatSGLT2 inhibitorssteatohepatitis (NASH)weight loss medication

Identifiers

PMID32153507
PMCPMC7046622
OpenAlexW3008165035

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.