The effect of pharmacological treatment and lifestyle modification in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials

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#exercise #humans #life-style #non-alcoholic-fatty-liver-disease #randomized-controlled-trials-as-topic

The effect of pharmacological treatment and lifestyle modification in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials

Cho et al., 2022 | Obes Rev | Systematic Review

Citation

Cho Kyuyeon, Park Seoyeon, ... Smith Lee. The effect of pharmacological treatment and lifestyle modification in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. Obes Rev. 2022-Sep;23(9):e13464. doi:10.1111/obr.13464

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a liver disease that affects approximately 25% of the world's population, and various treatments have been applied for NAFLD patients. We compared the effectiveness of each intervention conducted to treat NAFLD by evaluating meta-analyses of pharmacological interventions and lifestyle modification including diet and exercise. We searched Pubmed/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library and included meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of pharmacological intervention and lifestyle modification on NAFLD. The quality of included meta-analyses was evaluated by AMSTAR-2. If the effect size was expressed as mean difference, it was converted to standardized mean difference based on the random-effects model. A total of 1694 meta-analyses were identified, and 27 meta-analyses were eventually included in the review. Regarding pharmacological interventions, there was a high strength of evidence for the ALT reduction effect of silymarin on inactive controls (SMD = 0.88, p < 0.01, seven trials, 518 participants). Meanwhile, it was confirmed that appropriate diet and exercise were important in reducing liver fat (SMD = 1.51, p < 0.01, 12 trials, 765 participants). This umbrella review assessed the effects of pharmacological interventions and lifestyle modifications in the treatment of NAFLD. The results of this review can be utilized for clinical decisions when treating NAFLD patients.

Key Findings

The results of this review can be utilized for clinical decisions when treating NAFLD patients.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 518
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Exercise
  • Humans
  • Life Style
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: milk-thistle

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09