Liraglutide improves carotid intima-media thickness in patients with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: an 8-month prospective pilot study

Abstract

Objective: To explore the effects of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor analogue liraglutide on subclinical atherosclerosis in diabetic subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Research design and methods: In this 8-month prospective study, 29 subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and NAFLD (16 men and 13 women, mean age: 61 ± 10 years) were matched for age and gender with 29 subjects with T2DM without NAFLD (16 men and 13 women, mean age: 61 ± 8 years). Liraglutide 0.6 mg/day for 2 weeks, followed by 1.2 mg/day, was given in addition to metformin.

Main outcome measures: Anthropometric variables, glucometabolic parameters and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) using B-mode real-time ultrasound were assessed at baseline and 4 and 8 months.

Results: Glycated hemoglobin reduced significantly in both groups. No significant changes were found in body weight, waist circumference and lipids. Carotid IMT decreased significantly in the T2DM patients with NAFLD (from 0.96 ± 0.27 to 0.82 ± 0.17 to 0.85 ± 0.12 mm, p = 0.0325), but not in the T2DM patients without NAFLD (from 0.91 ± 0.23 to 0.88 ± 0.17 to 0.85 ± 0.15 mm, p = 0.4473).

Conclusion: Eight months of liraglutide use in patients with T2DM and NAFLD significantly reduced carotid IMT, a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis, independently of glucometabolic changes.

Keywords:

• carotid intima-media thickness
• liraglutide
• non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• type 2 diabetes

Acknowledgments

We want to thank all volunteers who participated in this trial. The trial is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov under number NCT01715428. The abstract has been presented as a poster at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting, 16 – 19 September, 2014, Vienna, Austria (Diabetologia 2014; 57 (Suppl 1):S369).

Declaration of interest

M Rizzo has given lectures, received honoraria or research support, and participated in conferences, advisory boards and clinical trials sponsored by AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Bromatech, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Kowa, MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Rikrea and Servier. G Montalto, AM Patti, RV Giglio and D Nikolic have participated in clinical trials sponsored by AstraZeneca and Novo Nordisk. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending or royalties.