Impact of Liraglutide 3.0 mg on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Individuals with Obesity: A Real-World Study.

INTRODUCTION: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a prevalent condition, can progress to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study evaluated the efficacy of liraglutide 3.0 mg in treating MASLD in patients with obesity in real-world clinical settings. METHODS: Adults aged 18 years or older with BMI ≥27 kg/m2 and obesity-related diseases were enrolled from ten tertiary hospitals across South Korea. Initially, 503 participants were included, with follow-up at 2, 4, and 6 months involving 244, 190, and 101 participants, respectively. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters, particularly MASLD-related ones, were assessed. RESULTS: In this cohort, liver enzymes, which serve as surrogate markers for MASLD, decreased continuously: aspartate aminotransferase from 33.2 ± 18.5 IU/L at baseline to 27.4 ± 12.8 IU/L at 6 months (p < 0.001); alanine aminotransferase from 41.6 ± 29.9 IU/L to 30.6 ± 18.0 IU/L at 6 months (p < 0.001). Hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) liver fat score also decreased significantly (HSI: 44.7 ± 6.2 to 42.2 ± 5.8, p < 0.001; NAFLD liver fat score: 2.12 ± 2.90 to 0.43 ± 1.91, p < 0.001). Single-point insulin sensitivity estimator, which indicates insulin sensitivity, steadily increased from 4.38 ± 0.93 to 4.72 ± 1.06 (p < 0.001). No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: Liraglutide 3.0 mg improved surrogate markers of MASLD in individuals with obesity, suggesting it may be a promising approach to address both conditions concurrently.