Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40026701›Full record

ReviewGastro hep advances2025

Comparative Efficacy of NAFLD Therapies and Biomarker Associations: A Meta-Analysis Based on Liver Fat Content.

Haoxiang Zhu, Ling Xu, Yinhua Lv, Juan Yang, Jihan Huang, Qingshan Zheng, Guang Ji, Lujin Li

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Gastro hep advances, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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

8 authors.

Haoxiang ZhuCenter for Drug Clinical Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Ling XuCenter for Drug Clinical Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yinhua LvCenter for Drug Clinical Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Juan YangCenter for Drug Clinical Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jihan HuangCenter for Drug Clinical Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Qingshan ZhengCenter for Drug Clinical Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Guang JiInstitute of Digestive Disease, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Lujin LiCenter for Drug Clinical Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Aims: This study aims to conduct a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) therapeutics, utilizing magnetic resonance (MR)-detected liver fat content (LFC) as the efficacy endpoint, and to identify biomarkers correlated with changes in LFC based on published literature. Methods: We performed a systematic search of public databases for placebo-controlled randomized trials on NAFLD up to September 29, 2023. A random-effects meta-analysis was employed to assess efficacy differences between drugs with various mechanisms and placebo. Initial Pearson correlation analysis explored the relationships between biomarkers and LFC. For biomarkers showing significant correlations with LFC, further modeling analysis was conducted to examine their relationship characteristics. Results: Our analysis included 36 studies with 3222 subjects and 33 investigational drugs, which were categorized into 6 mechanistic groups. Drugs such as fibroblast growth factor agonists, and those targeting adipocytes, inflammation, or fibrosis, showed greater efficacy in reducing LFC compared to Resmetirom, which has an efficacy of reducing LFC by 5.2%. From the 121 biomarkers analyzed, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase demonstrated moderate correlations with LFC; specifically, changes of -5.9 U/L in alanine aminotransferase or -3.3 U/L in aspartate aminotransferase were associated with an additional 1% reduction in LFC. Conclusion: The results of this study provide valuable insights for the clinical development of future NAFLD therapeutics, highlighting the efficacy of specific drug mechanisms and the potential of certain biomarkers as surrogate endpoints.

Indexed as

MRI-PDFFMRS-PDFFNonalcoholic fatty liverNonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Identifiers

PMID40026701
PMCPMC11869496

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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.