The Influence of Bariatric Surgery on Serum Bile Acids in Humans and Potential Metabolic and Hormonal Implications: a Systematic Review

Relationship of Serum Bile Acids with Fat Deposition in the Pancreas, Liver, and Skeletal Muscle

Introduction

Ectopic fat deposition is well appreciated as a key contributor to digestive and liver diseases. Bile acids have emerged as pleiotropic signalling molecules involved in numerous metabolic pathways. The aim was to study the associations of bile acids with ectopic fat deposition and lipid panel.

Methods

A single 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner was employed to measure fat deposition in the pancreas, liver, and skeletal muscle in 76 adults. Blood samples were drawn to determine total bile acids and lipid panel. Linear regression analyses were run, taking into account age, sex, body mass index, and other covariates.

Results

The studied ectopic fat depots were not significantly associated with levels of total bile acids in serum. Total bile acids were significantly associated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol - consistently in both the unadjusted (p = 0.018) and all adjusted models (p = 0.012 in the most adjusted model). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were not significantly associated with total bile acids in both the unadjusted and all adjusted models.

Conclusion

Fat deposition in the pancreas, liver, and skeletal muscle is not associated with circulating levels of total bile acids. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol is the only component of lipid panel that is associated with total bile acids.

The impact of bariatric surgery on colorectal cancer risk

Obesity is considered a risk factor for different types of cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Bariatric surgery has been associated with improvements in obesity-related co-morbidities and reductions in overall cancer risk. However, given the contradictory outcomes of several cohort studies, the impact of bariatric surgery on CRC risk appears controversial. Furthermore, measurement of CRC biomarkers following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) has revealed hyperproliferation and increased pro-inflammatory gene expression in the rectal mucosa. The proposed mechanisms leading to increased CRC risk are alterations of the gut microbiota and exposure of the colorectum to high concentrations of bile acids, both of which are caused by RYGB-induced anatomical rearrangements. Studies in animals and humans have highlighted the similarities between RYGB-induced microbial profiles and the gut microbiota documented in CRC. Microbial alterations common to post-RYGB cases and CRC include the enrichment of pro-inflammatory microbes and reduction in butyrate-producing bacteria. Lower concentrations of butyrate following RYGB may also contribute to an increased risk of CRC, given the anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties of this molecule. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy appears to have a more moderate impact than RYGB; however, relatively few animal and human studies have investigated its effects on CRC risk. Moreover, evidence regarding the impact of anastomosis gastric bypass on one is even more limited. Therefore, further studies are required to establish whether the potential increase in CRC risk is restricted to RYGB or may also be associated with other bariatric procedures.

Bile acid metabolism and signaling, the microbiota, and metabolic disease

The diversity, composition, and function of the bacterial community inhabiting the human gastrointestinal tract contributes to host health through its role in producing energy or signaling molecules that regulate metabolic and immunologic functions. Bile acids are potent metabolic and immune signaling molecules synthesized from cholesterol in the liver and then transported to the intestine where they can undergo metabolism by gut bacteria. The combination of host- and microbiota-derived enzymatic activities contribute to the composition of the bile acid pool and thus there can be great diversity in bile acid composition that depends in part on the differences in the gut bacteria species. Bile acids can profoundly impact host metabolic and immunological functions by activating different bile acid receptors to regulate signaling pathways that control a broad range of complex symbiotic metabolic networks, including glucose, lipid, steroid and xenobiotic metabolism, and modulation of energy homeostasis. Disruption of bile acid signaling due to perturbation of the gut microbiota or dysregulation of the gut microbiota-host interaction is associated with the pathogenesis and progression of metabolic disorders. The metabolic and immunological roles of bile acids in human health have led to novel therapeutic approaches to manipulate the bile acid pool size, composition, and function by targeting one or multiple components of the microbiota-bile acid-bile acid receptor axis.

Neurohormonal Changes in the Gut–Brain Axis and Underlying Neuroendocrine Mechanisms following Bariatric Surgery

Obesity is a complex, multifactorial disease that is a major public health issue worldwide. Currently approved anti-obesity medications and lifestyle interventions lack the efficacy and durability needed to combat obesity, especially in individuals with more severe forms or coexisting metabolic disorders, such as poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. Bariatric surgery is considered an effective therapeutic modality with sustained weight loss and metabolic benefits. Numerous genetic and environmental factors have been associated with the pathogenesis of obesity, while cumulative evidence has highlighted the gut–brain axis as a complex bidirectional communication axis that plays a crucial role in energy homeostasis. This has led to increased research on the roles of neuroendocrine signaling pathways and various gastrointestinal peptides as key mediators of the beneficial effects following weight-loss surgery. The accumulate evidence suggests that the development of gut-peptide-based agents can mimic the effects of bariatric surgery and thus is a highly promising treatment strategy that could be explored in future research. This article aims to elucidate the potential underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms of the gut–brain axis and comprehensively review the observed changes of gut hormones associated with bariatric surgery. Moreover, the emerging role of post-bariatric gut microbiota modulation is briefly discussed.

Bile acid, glucose, lipid profile, and liver enzyme changes in prediabetic patients 1 year after sleeve gastrectomy

Background

Few articles have studied individuals with prediabetes after sleeve gastrectomy. Bile acid and lipid levels remain inconsistent in postbariatric patients. The purpose of this study was to explore bile acid, glucose, lipid, and liver enzyme changes in patients with different diabetes statuses who underwent sleeve gastrectomy. The impact of bariatric surgery and its potential benefits for prediabetic patients was also discussed.

Methods

A total of 202 overweight and obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery in our hospital between January 2016 and October 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into prediabetes (n = 32), nondiabetes (n = 144), and diabetes (n = 26) groups and analysed. Glucose and lipid data were collected from medical records at baseline and at each follow-up visit.

Result

Significant improvements in body weight, glucose and lipid levels, and liver enzymes (P ≤ 0.05) in prediabetic patients were found throughout the first year postoperatively. Improvement in glycaemic control was first seen one month postoperatively, followed by persistent improvement in the next 12 months. Total bile acid (TBA) decreased, which was associated with ALT improvement in prediabetic patients 1-year post-surgery. There were no significant differences in HbA1c, glucose, or triglycerides (TGs) between prediabetic and T2DM patients or between prediabetic and nondiabetic patients at 12 months post-surgery.

Conclusion

LSG is highly effective at interfering with glucose and lipid levels as well as total bile acid levels in prediabetic patients in the first year postoperatively. Thus, LSG is indeed an alternative for overweight and obese prediabetic patients.

The effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in the treatment of hypertension and diabetes

INTRODUCTION

obesity has become a public health problem in Brazil and worldwide, due to its high prevalence. It is considered a risk factor for systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) and type 2 diabetes mellitus T2DM. Although lifestyle changes can control and even achieve complete T2DM remission, most patients have difficulty controlling blood glucose. Recent studies show that the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is efficient for weight loss and control of T2DM and SAH in obese individuals.

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the effect of the RYGB technique on the control and treatment of comorbidities related to obesity.

METHOD

this is a retrospective cohort study, with information obtained from the review of medical records, with data collection in the pre and postoperative period of patients undergoing bariatric surgery. We selected those with T2DM and SAH for the study.

RESULTS

252 patients underwent RYGB in the service. Seventy-nine (31.3%) had T2DM and 64 had SAH associated with T2DM. Regarding T2DM and SAH, 37.9% and 43,7%, respectively, showed total remission of the disease after surgery. There was a reduction in the postoperative use of Metformin, insulin / Gliclazide, Propranolol, Losartan and Hydrochlorothiazide in 62%, 10.1%, 100%, 26.5% and 22.8% of patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION

the RYGB technique is effective in the remission of T2DM and SAH. Even in cases where there was no total remission of the diseases, there was a significant drop in the use of medicines used for their treatment.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Associated with Obesity (Diabesity). The Central Role of Gut Microbiota and Its Translational Applications

Obesity is a condition of rising prevalence worldwide, with important socioeconomic implications, being considered as a growing public health concern. Frequently, obesity brings other complications in addition to itself—like Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM)—sharing origin, risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms. In this context, some authors have decided to include both conditions as a unique entity known as “diabesity”. In fact, understanding diabesity as a single disease is possible to maximise the benefits from therapies received in these patients. Gut microbiota plays a key role in individual’s health, and their alterations, either in its composition or derived products are related to a wide range of metabolic disorders like T2DM and obesity. The present work aims to collect the different changes reported in gut microbiota in patients with T2DM associated with obesity and their possible role in the onset, development, and establishment of the disease. Moreover, current research lines to modulate gut microbiota and the potential clinical translation derived from the knowledge of this system will also be reviewed, which may provide support for a better clinical management of such a complex condition.

Proceedings of the 2017 ASPEN Research Workshop-Gastric Bypass: Role of the Gut

The goal of the National Institutes of Health-funded American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 2017 research workshop (RW) "Gastric Bypass: Role of the Gut" was to focus on the exciting research evaluating gut-derived signals in modulating outcomes after bariatric surgery. Although gastric bypass surgery has undoubted positive effects, the mechanistic basis of improved outcomes cannot be solely explained by caloric restriction. Emerging data suggest that bile acid metabolic pathways, luminal contents, energy balance, gut mucosal integrity, as well as the gut microbiota are significantly modulated after bariatric surgery and may be responsible for the variable outcomes, each of which was rigorously evaluated. The RW served as a timely and novel academic meeting that brought together clinicians and researchers across the scientific spectrum, fostering a unique venue for interdisciplinary collaboration among investigators. It promoted engaging discussion and evolution of new research hypotheses and ideas, driving the development of novel ameliorative, therapeutic, and nonsurgical interventions targeting obesity and its comorbidities. Importantly, a critical evaluation of the current knowledge regarding gut-modulated signaling after bariatric surgery, potential pitfalls, and lacunae were thoroughly addressed.

Ultra-Early and Early Changes in Bile Acids and Insulin After Sleeve Gastrectomy Among Obese Patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

In obese patients, sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has shown mixed results on bile acid (BA) values. The aim of our study was to examine the potential ultra-early and early changes of the circulating total BA in relation with the changes of insulin resistance (IR) in obese patients submitted to laparoscopic SG. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four obese subjects were investigated for body mass index (BMI), total fasting BA, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and leptin before and at 7 and 30 d after SG. Results: After surgery, mean BMI decreased at the first (p < 0.001) and at the second time point (p < 0.001) relative to baseline. Total fasting BA values did not change significantly at 7 d (p = 0.938) and at 30 d (p = 0.289) after SG. No significant changes were found at 7 d (p = 0.194, p = 0.34) and 30 d (p = 0.329, p = 0.151) after surgery regarding fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, respectively. However, a trend of increased total fasting BA and decreased fasting insulin and HOMA- after laparoscopic SG has been found. Negative correlations between total fasting BA and insulin (r = -0.807, p = 0.009), HOMA-IR (r = -0.855, p = 0.014), and blood glucose (r = -0.761, p = 0.047), respectively, were observed at one month after SG. Conclusion: In conclusion, here, we found a lack of significant changes in total fasting BA, insulin, and HOMA-IR ultra-early and early after SG, which precluded us to consider a possible relation between the variations of BA and IR. However, the presence of the tendency for total fasting BA to increase and for insulin and HOMA-IR to decrease, as well as of the negative correlations one month after laparoscopic SG, suggest that this surgery brings about some changes that point towards the existence, and possibly towards the restoration, at least to some extent, of the link between BA and glucose metabolism.

Meal patterns after bariatric surgery in mice and rats

With behavioral and pharmacological interventions continuously failing to tackle the obesity epidemic, bariatric surgery has been hailed as the most effective treatment strategy. Current literature suggests that bariatric surgery successfully decreases body weight and excess fat mass through targeting both variables of the energy homeostasis - energy intake and energy expenditure. Here we review current knowledge on changes in caloric consumption, an important arm in the energy balance equation, in rodent models of bariatric surgery. In particular, circadian feeding dynamics, post-surgical caloric intake at both "rapid weight loss" phase and "weight maintenance" phase, as well as meal pattern analysis will be the subject of this review. Considering that different types of bariatric surgery may trigger differential energy intake dynamics resulting in variable weight loss outcomes, the effects of most popular surgeries - vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), and gastric banding (GB) - are elaborated. Potential candidate mechanisms underlying alterations in food intake and meal patterns following different bariatric procedures are briefly discussed at the end.

Changes in Bile Acid Metabolism, Transport, and Signaling as Central Drivers for Metabolic Improvements After Bariatric Surgery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We review current evidence regarding changes in bile acid (BA) metabolism, transport, and signaling after bariatric surgery and how these might bolster fat mass loss and energy expenditure to promote improvements in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

RECENT FINDINGS

The two most common bariatric techniques, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), increase the size and alter the composition of the circulating BA pool that may then impact energy metabolism through altered activities of BA targets in the many tissues perfused by systemic blood. Recent reports in human patients indicate that gene expression of the major BA target, the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), is increased in the liver but decreased in the small intestine after RYGB. In contrast, intestinal expression of the transmembrane G protein-coupled BA receptor (TGR5) is upregulated after surgery. Despite these apparent conflicting changes in receptor transcription, changes in BAs after both RYGB and VSG are associated with elevated postprandial systemic levels of fibroblast growth factor 19 (from FXR activation) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (from TGR5 activation). These signaling activities are presumed to support fat mass loss and related metabolic benefits of bariatric surgery, and this supposition is in agreement with findings from rodent models of RYGB and VSG. However, inter-species differences in BA physiology limit direct translation and mechanistic understanding of how changes in individual BA species contribute to post-operative improvements of T2D and NAFLD in humans. Thus, details of all these changes and their influences on BAs' biological actions are still under scrutiny. Changes in BA physiology and receptor activities after RYGB and VSG likely support weight loss and promote sustained metabolic improvements.

Biomarkers of Colorectal Cancer Risk Decrease 6 months After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery

PURPOSE

The impact of weight loss on obesity-related colorectal cancer (CRC) risk is not well defined. Previous studies have suggested that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery may have an unexpected adverse impact on CRC risk. This study aimed to investigate the impact of RYGB on biomarkers of CRC risk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rectal mucosal biopsies and blood were obtained from patients undergoing RYGB (n = 22) and non-obese control participants (n = 20) at baseline and at a median of 6.5 months after surgery. Markers of systemic inflammation and glucose homeostasis were measured. Expression of pro-inflammatory genes and proto-oncogenes in the rectal mucosa was quantified using qPCR. Crypt cell proliferation state of the rectal mucosa was assessed by counting mitotic figures in whole micro-dissected crypts.

RESULTS

At 6.5 months post-surgery, participants had lost 29 kg body mass and showed improvements in markers of glucose homeostasis and in systemic inflammation. Expression of pro-inflammatory genes in the rectal mucosa did not increase and COX-1 expression fell significantly (P = 0.019). The mean number of mitoses per crypt decreased from 6.5 to 4.3 (P = 0.028) after RYGB.

CONCLUSION

RYGB in obese adults led to lower rectal crypt cell proliferation, reduced systemic and mucosal markers of inflammation and improvements in glucose regulation. These consistent findings of reduced markers of tumourigenic potential suggest that surgically induced weight loss may lower CRC risk.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery-Induced Weight Loss and Metabolic Improvements Are Similar in TGR5-Deficient and Wildtype Mice

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) remains one of the most effective treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Despite this, the mechanisms through which it acts are still not well understood. Bile acid signaling through the transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptor TGR5 has been shown to have significant effects on metabolism and has recently been reported to be necessary for the full effects of vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), a bariatric surgery with similar effects to RYGB. The goal of the current study is therefore to investigate the role of bile acid signaling through TGR5 to see if it is necessary to obtain the full effects of RYGB.

METHODS

High-fat diet-induced obese TGR5-/- and wildtype mice (WT) were subjected to RYGB, sham surgery, or weight matching (WM) to RYGB mice via caloric restriction. Body weight, body composition, food intake, energy expenditure, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and liver weight were measured.

RESULTS

Although the difference in fat mass 20 weeks after surgery between RYGB and sham-operated mice was slightly reduced in TGR5-/- mice when compared to wildtype mice, loss of body weight and fat mass from preoperative levels, reduction of food intake, increase of energy expenditure, and improvement in glycemic control were similar in the two genotypes. Furthermore, improvements in glycemic control were similar in non-surgical mice weight-matched to RYGB.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that bile acid signaling through TGR5 is not required for the beneficial effects of RYGB in the mouse and that RYGB and VSG may achieve their similar beneficial effects through different mechanisms.

In Silico Analysis Identifies Intestinal Transit as a Key Determinant of Systemic Bile Acid Metabolism

Bile acids fulfill a variety of metabolic functions including regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. Since changes of bile acid metabolism accompany obesity, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and bariatric surgery, there is great interest in their role in metabolic health. Here, we developed a mathematical model of systemic bile acid metabolism, and subsequently performed in silico analyses to gain quantitative insight into the factors determining plasma bile acid measurements. Intestinal transit was found to have a surprisingly central role in plasma bile acid appearance, as was evidenced by both the necessity of detailed intestinal transit functions for a physiological description of bile acid metabolism as well as the importance of the intestinal transit parameters in determining plasma measurements. The central role of intestinal transit is further highlighted by the dependency of the early phase of the dynamic response of plasma bile acids after a meal to intestinal propulsion.

Bariatric Surgery: A Perspective for Primary Care

IN BRIEF Bariatric surgery is the most efficacious treatment for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other obesity-related comorbidities. In this article, the authors review the current indications for bariatric surgery and discuss the most commonly performed procedures. They analyze medical outcomes of bariatric procedures by reviewing key prospective trials and discuss changes in physiology after these procedures. They conclude by discussing long-term management of bariatric patients by reviewing current guidelines for nutritional support and listing common complications related to these procedures.

Bile Acids in the Treatment of Cardiometabolic Diseases

Bile acids (BA), for decades considered only to have fat-emulsifying functions in the gut lumen, have recently emerged as novel cardio-metabolic modulators. They have real endocrine effects, acting via multiple intracellular receptors in various organs and tissues. BA affect energy homeostasis through the modulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, predominantly by activating the nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR), as well as the cytoplasmic membrane G protein-coupled BA receptor TGR5 in a variety of tissues; although numerous other intracellular targets of BA are also in play.The roles of BA in the pathogenesis of diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases are seriously being considered, and BA and their derivatives seem to represent novel potential therapeutics to treat these diseases of civilization.

Treatment of Obesity: Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery

This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying, and indications for, bariatric surgery in the reduction of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as other expected benefits of this intervention. The fundamental basis for bariatric surgery for the purpose of accomplishing weight loss is the determination that severe obesity is a disease associated with multiple adverse effects on health, which can be reversed or improved by successful weight loss in patients who have been unable to sustain weight loss by nonsurgical means. An explanation of possible indications for weight loss surgery as well as specific bariatric surgical procedures is presented, along with review of the safety literature of such procedures. Procedures that are less invasive or those that involve less gastrointestinal rearrangement accomplish considerably less weight loss but have substantially lower perioperative and longer-term risk. The ultimate benefit of weight reduction relates to the reduction of the comorbidities, quality of life, and all-cause mortality. With weight loss being the underlying justification for bariatric surgery in ameliorating CVD risk, current evidence-based research is discussed concerning body fat distribution, dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, inflammation, obstructive sleep apnea, and others. The rationale for bariatric surgery reducing CVD events is discussed and juxtaposed with impacts on all-cause mortalities. Given the improvement of established obesity-related CVD risk factors after weight loss, it is reasonable to expect a reduction of CVD events and related mortality after weight loss in populations with obesity. The quality of the current evidence is reviewed, and future research opportunities and summaries are stated.

Ghrelin, CCK, GLP-1, and PYY(3-36): Secretory Controls and Physiological Roles in Eating and Glycemia in Health, Obesity, and After RYGB

The efficacy of Roux-en-Y gastric-bypass (RYGB) and other bariatric surgeries in the management of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus and novel developments in gastrointestinal (GI) endocrinology have renewed interest in the roles of GI hormones in the control of eating, meal-related glycemia, and obesity. Here we review the nutrient-sensing mechanisms that control the secretion of four of these hormones, ghrelin, cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and peptide tyrosine tyrosine [PYY(3-36)], and their contributions to the controls of GI motor function, food intake, and meal-related increases in glycemia in healthy-weight and obese persons, as well as in RYGB patients. Their physiological roles as classical endocrine and as locally acting signals are discussed. Gastric emptying, the detection of specific digestive products by small intestinal enteroendocrine cells, and synergistic interactions among different GI loci all contribute to the secretion of ghrelin, CCK, GLP-1, and PYY(3-36). While CCK has been fully established as an endogenous endocrine control of eating in healthy-weight persons, the roles of all four hormones in eating in obese persons and following RYGB are uncertain. Similarly, only GLP-1 clearly contributes to the endocrine control of meal-related glycemia. It is likely that local signaling is involved in these hormones' actions, but methods to determine the physiological status of local signaling effects are lacking. Further research and fresh approaches are required to better understand ghrelin, CCK, GLP-1, and PYY(3-36) physiology; their roles in obesity and bariatric surgery; and their therapeutic potentials.

Improved glucose metabolism following bariatric surgery is associated with increased circulating bile acid concentrations and remodeling of the gut microbiome

Clinical studies have indicated that circulating bile acid (BA) concentrations increase following bariatric surgery, especially following malabsorptive procedures such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypasses (RYGB). Moreover, total circulating BA concentrations in patients following RYGB are positively correlated with serum glucagon-like peptide-1 concentrations and inversely correlated with postprandial glucose concentrations. Overall, these data suggest that the increased circulating BA concentrations following bariatric surgery - independently of calorie restriction and body-weight loss - could contribute, at least in part, to improvements in insulin sensitivity, incretin hormone secretion, and postprandial glycemia, leading to the remission of type-2 diabetes (T2DM). In humans, the primary and secondary BA pool size is dependent on the rate of biosynthesis and the enterohepatic circulation of BAs, as well as on the gut microbiota, which play a crucial role in BA biotransformation. Moreover, BAs and gut microbiota are closely integrated and affect each other. Thus, the alterations in bile flow that result from anatomical changes caused by bariatric surgery and changes in gut microbiome may influence circulating BA concentrations and could subsequently contribute to T2DM remission following RYGB. Research data coming largely from animal and cell culture models suggest that BAs can contribute, via nuclear farnezoid X receptor (FXR) and membrane G-protein-receptor (TGR-5), to beneficial effects on glucose metabolism. It is therefore likely that FXR, TGR-5, and BAs play a similar role in glucose metabolism following bariatric surgery in humans. The objective of this review is to discuss in detail the results of published studies that show how bariatric surgery affects glucose metabolism and subsequently T2DM remission.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are common conditions that regularly co-exist and can act synergistically to drive adverse outcomes. The presence of both NAFLD and T2DM increases the likelihood of the development of complications of diabetes (including both macro- and micro- vascular complications) as well as augmenting the risk of more severe NAFLD, including cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and death. The mainstay of NAFLD management is currently to reduce modifiable metabolic risk. Achieving good glycaemic control and optimising weight loss are pivotal to restricting disease progression. Once cirrhosis has developed, it is necessary to screen for complications and minimise the risk of hepatic decompensation. Therapeutic disease modifying options for patients with NAFLD are currently limited. When diabetes and NAFLD co-exist, there are published data that can help inform the clinician as to the most appropriate oral hypoglycaemic agent or injectable therapy that may improve NAFLD, however most of these data are drawn from observations in retrospective series and there is a paucity of well-designed randomised double blind placebo controlled studies with gold-standard end-points. Furthermore, given the heterogeneity of inclusion criteria and primary outcomes, as well as duration of follow-up, it is difficult to draw robust conclusions that are applicable across the entire spectrum of NAFLD and diabetes. In this review, we have summarised and critically evaluated the available data, with the aim of helping to inform the reader as to the most pertinent issues when managing patients with co-existent NAFLD and T2DM.