Author information
1
Department of Pharmacy, Methodist University Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
2
College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
3
Department of Medicine, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, USA.
4
Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA.
5
Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
6
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common cause of liver disease, affects approximately 75 to 100 million Americans. Patients with concurrent NAFLD and type 2 diabetes mellitus have a higher risk of progressing to advanced fibrosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis compared to non-diabetics. Lifestyle modifications, including weight loss, remain the mainstay of treatment for NAFLD, as there are no medications currently indicated for this disease state. Anti-diabetic pharmacologic therapies aimed at improving insulin sensitivity and decreasing insulin production have been studied to determine their potential role in slowing the progression of NAFLD. In this review, we focus on the evidence surrounding anti-diabetic medications and their ability to improve disease progression in patients with NAFLD.