Fatty Liver Clinical Trials 2022

What Are Fatty Liver Clinical Trials?

The liver is a crucial organ responsible for supporting multiple functions of the body. It aids digestion, stores iron, makes protein, provides energy by breaking down nutrients, and removes toxins. However, you may develop a fatty liver because of a diet rich in fats, alcohol abuse, diabetes, and obesity. Fatty liver is a health condition triggered when extra fat builds up in your liver. In this condition, fat weighs five to ten percent more than the liver.

Fatty liver is a serious health issue because it can gradually damage the liver. Therefore, fatty liver clinical trials are conducted to learn ways to prevent, detect and treat fatty liver. Recent studies focus on understanding different types of fatty liver diseases- alcohol-induced and non-alcohol fatty liver.

Why Is Fatty Liver Being Studied Through Clinical Trials?

According to UCLA Health, the prevalence of fatty liver is between 10 and 46 percent. Though the disease doesn’t cause serious issues, the condition can worsen in 30 percent of people with NFLD (Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) over time. Fatty liver disease progresses through 3 crucial stages:

• Steatohepatitis- The liver becomes inflamed.
• Fibrosis- scar tissue is formed
• Cirrhosis- healthy tissue is replaced by scarred tissue.

Individuals with fatty liver may not have any symptoms until they reach the third stage- cirrhosis. However, symptoms may include abdominal pain, weight loss, jaundice, edema, weakness, and nausea.

Approximately 100 million people in the US are affected by the non-alcoholic fatty liver condition. It costs the healthcare industry in the US around $32 billion yearly. The economic burden of the NFLD has increased the need for clinical trials to find treatments to save lives and money. Moreover, they must find the best therapeutic and nutritional ways to alleviate the condition before people reach the last stage of liver disease.

What Are the Types of Treatments Available for Fatty Liver?

Currently, no medication or surgical treatment is available for fatty liver. However, people with NFLD can take specific steps and measures to reverse and prevent some damage. For example, a clinical trial showed that weight loss could help improve non-alcoholic fatty liver. Physical activities like exercise and healthy dietary habits can reduce weight. This can significantly help lower fat content in the liver.

Other ways to alleviate NFLD are:

• Avoiding alcohol
• Controlling diabetes
• Lowering triglyceride levels

What Are Some Recent Breakthrough Clinical Trials for Fatty Liver?

In recent years, numerous studies have been conducted to alleviate fatty liver health conditions. Some of the most recent studies include the following:

2021: Empagliflozin Improves Liver Steatosis and Fibrosis- The placebo-controlled trial focused on evaluating the efficacy of Empagliflozin ( a drug used for diabetes) to alleviate NAFLD. It included 106 patients with both type 2 diabetes and NAFLD for 24 weeks. They received 10 mg of Empagliflozin, 30mg of pioglitazone, or a placebo. Treatment with empagliflozin for 24 weeks showed improvement in patients in the fibrosis and steatosis stages. Moreover, it also decreased abdominal fat in patients and overall body weight.

2019: Effect of Orlistat on liver fat content- The study focused on using Orlistat to control and manage weight in people with NFLD. After 24 weeks of research conducted on parallel groups, it was concluded that Orlistat effectively promotes steatosis improvement. This research is expected to be a breakthrough in providing a treatment option for NAFLD.

Who Are Some of the Key Opinion Leaders/Researchers/Institutions Conducting Fatty Liver Clinical Trial Research?

NAFLD Research Center of UC San Diego is strongly committed to conducting translational research in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to pursue effective treatments.

Pinnacle Clinical Research is focused on the early detection and treatment of fatty liver in patients. The organization strives to educate the community through ongoing clinical trials and research studies.