Lipids & metabolic liver disease
Efficacy and safety of liraglutide in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease with or without type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors' conclusion
Liraglutide demonstrates beneficial effects on BMI, FPG and GGT in patients with NAFLD with or without comorbid T2DM. It also shows positive effects on ALT and TG in patients with NAFLD and T2DM. While the treatment was associated with a higher burden of mostly manageable gastrointestinal adverse events, the findings of this study warrant further validation in prospective high-quality studies.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with or without T2D
- Participants
- 478 patients8 randomised controlled trials (RCTs)
- Comparison
- Liraglutide in NAFLD with or without T2D
- Outcome
- Metabolic and hepatic outcomes (NAFLD, regardless of T2D)
Methodological detailsOverall moderate risk of bias (Cochrane Risk of Bias tool)
- Overall moderate risk of bias (Cochrane Risk of Bias tool)
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Estimate (95% CI)P value
Liraglutide
SMD (BMI) −0.85(−1.04 to −0.66)
Liraglutide
SMD (FPG) −1.22(−1.97 to −0.46)
Liraglutide
SMD (GGT) −1.10(−1.48 to −0.72)
P < 0.00001Liraglutide
SMD (HbA1c) 0.14(−0.39 to 0.67)
Further pooled results
ALT and triglycerides (TG) in NAFLD with T2D
| Estimate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Liraglutide | SMD (ALT) −0.44 (95% CI −0.80 to −0.08) | |
| Liraglutide | SMD (TG) −1.08 (95% CI −1.97 to −0.19) | |
| −2−101Difference (linear scale) |
Safety
Adverse events
- Higher incidence of adverse events (AEs) with liraglutide, primarily gastrointestinal (nausea, diarrhoea), mostly transient
Original publication
Efficacy and safety of liraglutide in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease with or without type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 1 December 2025. doi:10.
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