Abstract

MANRIQUE, Gonzalo Miranda. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes: a review article. Horiz. Med. [online]. 2023, vol.23, n.2, e1967.  Epub May 30, 2023. ISSN 1727-558X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.24265/horizmed.2023.v23n2.13.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is caused by a build-up of triglyceride macrovesicles in the liver not related to other etiologies such as alcoholism, medications or genetic disorders. The spectrum of this condition includes nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and simple fatty liver.

In 2020, an international panel of experts proposed a new name for this entity and considered that the term “metabolic associated fatty liver disease” (MAFLD) would be the most appropriate to refer to a comprehensive but simple set of criteria for the diagnosis of MAFLD, which is not related to the amount of alcohol consumption and can occur in patients in any clinical setting.

NAFLD is a manifestation of metabolic syndrome and shows high prevalence and risk of rapid progression in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The current model considers that this process occurs as a consequence of “multiple hits” that could precede the fatty liver disease, this being the most appropriate explanation for the progression of NAFLD in an inflammatory state.

T2DM worsens NAFLD, leading to hyperglycemia and thus building a vicious circle. As for patients with diabetes, the risk of fibrosis must be assessed due to its impact on increased cardiovascular risk and progression of liver disease. This task may be accomplished through non-invasive tests such as hepatic fibrosis biomarkers, elastography or liver biopsy. As more effective treatment alternatives become available, determining the degree of fibrosis will be even more important.

To date, lifestyle changes are one of the most effective treatments for managing NAFLD. Regarding pharmacotherapy, thiazolidinediones are the most effective intervention for this disease in diabetic patients. Treatment with glucagonlike peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists, such as liraglutide, or with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors have also shown promising results in preliminary studies.

Keywords : Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Fibrosis; Fatty Liver.

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