Effect of SGLT2 Inhibitors on Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major and expanding national and international health problem. Despite numerous investigations using a variety of therapeutic agents, positive result on any single mode of treatment has not been established. It is also not clear whether insulin resistance that is virtually always present in those with NAFLD is a cause of NAFLD or is merely associated with the condition. A very high proportion of patients with NAFLD are obese with metabolic syndrome or have type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Life-style interventions resulting in weight loss remain the foundation for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. In addition, agents such as Vitamin E and pioglitazone as well as newer glycemia-lowering agents including Glucagon Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and Sodium Glucose. Contransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i(s)) exhibit positive effects on the clinical course of NAFLD in some patients. In this presentation, the pathophysiology of NAFLD will be discussed. Then, use of SGLT2 inhibitors as a potentially promising group of agents for the management of patients with fatty liver disease will be explored.