Gastroenterology · Endocrinology · 2 h ago
Weight-loss intervention linked to improved liver measures in adults with obesity
A post hoc analysis of 76 participants in a randomized crossover trial assessed liver outcomes during a three-month sequential dietary intervention. Weight loss coincided with reductions in liver fat and stiffness measured by transient elastography, but the analysis cannot establish which diet contributed to the changes.
- Mean weight loss was 7.6 kg over three months.
- Liver fat and stiffness measures decreased from baseline.
- Analysis does not isolate effects of individual diets.
Researchers conducted a post hoc analysis of prospectively collected data from 76 adults with obesity enrolled in a randomized crossover trial (NCT05420311). Participants followed three calorie-restricted diets in sequence: a standard diet, a ketogenic diet and modified alternate-day fasting, each for one month. Liver outcomes were measured at baseline and after three months using vibration-controlled transient elastography.
Participants lost a mean of 7.6 kg (SD 4.7). Mean controlled attenuation parameter, a measure of liver steatosis, fell from 286.6 to 256.6 dB/m (p<0.001); mean liver stiffness fell from 8.8 to 6.9 kPa (p=0.012). The proportion classified as having steatosis and the proportion with liver stiffness-based fibrosis risk of at least F2 also decreased. Levels of AST, ALT and GGT declined.
The findings suggest that weight loss during a structured dietary programme was accompanied by improvement in non-invasive liver measures. Because this was a post hoc analysis of the overall sequential intervention, it does not establish the relative effects of the individual diets or prove changes in liver histology. The study was funded by Spanish public research grants; authors reported no competing interests.
In practice
For adults with obesity undertaking a structured calorie-restricted programme, this small post hoc analysis found that three months of sequential diets accompanied weight loss and improved non-invasive measures of steatosis and liver stiffness. These findings do not show that any specific diet is superior, establish fibrosis regression on biopsy, or demonstrate long-term clinical benefit. The analysis supports further evaluation but is not sufficient on its own to guide diet selection or replace standard assessment of liver disease.
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BMC Medicine: Impact of a lifestyle intervention for weight loss on liver-related outcomes in adults with obesity: a subanalysis of a clinical trial ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.