Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors improve FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase scores in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease complicated by type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease caused by excessive lipid accumulation in the liver, and its global incidence is increasing. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are oral antidiabetes drugs that promote glucose excretion into the urine and have been reported to exert therapeutic effects in NAFLD, but liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) determined by transient elastography are inconsistent. In addition, the effects of SGLT2is on the FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase (FAST) scores have not been reported. We evaluated the effect of SGLT2is on patients with NAFLD complicated by type 2 diabetes using biochemical tests, transient elastography, and FAST scores. METHODS: Fifty-two patients with type 2 diabetes complicated by NAFLD who started SGLT2i treatment between 2014 and 2020 at our hospital were selected from the database. Pre- and post-treatment serum parameters, transient elastography, and FAST scores were compared. RESULTS: After 48 weeks of SGLT2i treatment, body weight, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, AST, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, uric acid, fibrosis-4 index, and AST to platelet ratio index improved. Median LSM decreased from 7.0 kPa to 6.2 kPa ( P = 0.023) and the median controlled attenuation parameter decreased from 304 dB/m to 283 dB/m ( P = 0.022). Median FAST score decreased from 0.40 to 0.22 ( P < 0.001), and the number of cases with a cutoff value of ≥0.35 decreased from 15 to 6 ( P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: SGLT2i use not only improves weight loss and blood glucose levels but also improves hepatic fibrosis by ameliorating hepatic steatosis and inflammation.