Are Lifestyle Therapies Effective for NAFLD Treatment?

Publication date: Available online 15 August 2019Source: Trends in Endocrinology & MetabolismAuthor(s): Nermeen N. El-Agroudy, Anica Kurzbach, Roman N. Rodionov, John O’Sullivan, Michael Roden, Andreas L. Birkenfeld, Dominik H. PestaNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the most common liver disorder worldwide. Specifically, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis pose an enormous burden for patients and health-care systems. In the absence of approved pharmacological therapies, effective lifestyle interventions for NAFLD, such as dietary strategies and exercise training, are currently the therapeutic strategies of choice. This review covers the influence of macronutrient quality and quantity (i.e., low-carbohydrate and high-protein diets), for successful reduction of intrahepatocellular lipids (IHL). Moreover, we discuss the effectiveness of different modalities of physical exercising with and without weight loss. These lifestyle modifications not only provide strategies to reduce IHL but may also hold a still underestimated potential to induce improvement and/or even remission of NAFLD.
Source: Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism - Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research