Dapagliflozin for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

A few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have assessed the use of dapagliflozin for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to investigate the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin in adults with NAFLD.We performed a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI and ClinicalTrials.gov for RCTs that assessed the use of dapagliflozin in patients with NAFLD. Risk ratios and mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were used to synthesize the results. Two authors independently extracted the data, evaluated the study quality and calculated pooled estimates.Eleven studies involving 839 patients were included. Compared with the control conditions, dapagliflozin led to a greater decrease in alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, triglyceride, body weight, body mass index, HbA1c, and fasting plasma glucose. No difference was found between the dapagliflozin and control groups in terms of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fibrosis 4 index, type IV collagen 7S, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, or adverse events.Dapagliflozin can markedly reduce hepatic enzymes and metabolic indicators and improve body composition, indicating its potential therapeutic efficacy.