Effect of Oral Semaglutide on Liver Fat and Body Composition in Liver Transplant Recipients With Diabetes Mellitus
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2025-03-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a spectrum of liver conditions ranging from liver
steatosis (NAFL), steatohepatitis (NASH), advanced liver fibrosis and ultimately leads to
cirrhosis in a significant proportion of individuals. NAFLD is intimately associated with
insulin resistance and associated disorders, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic
syndrome, and dyslipidemia.
It has been noted that several individuals with liver transplantation develop nonalcoholic
fatty liver disease in the transplanted liver. This is because of the presence of various
risk factors of obesity and NAFLD, such as decreased physical activity, that persist
following liver transplantation. Post-liver transplant patients are particularly at risk for
developing NAFLD, as these patients are on oral steroids and immunosuppressants for a
significant period of time.
There is no medication approved for the prevention or treatment of NAFLD. Semaglutide is an
GLP-1 receptor agonist that have been approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and
obesity. Semaglutide has also been demonstrated to have beneficial effects on NAFLD. However,
there is no data on the effect of semaglutide on liver fat accumulation or changes in body
composition in patients following liver transplantation. Therefore, the current pilot study
is planned to evaluate the effect of oral semaglutide on the liver fat, liver enzymes and
body composition in patients undergoing liver transplantation