Are Lifestyle Therapies Effective for NAFLD Treatment?

Nermeen N El-Agroudy; Anica Kurzbach; Roman N Rodionov; John O'Sullivan; Michael Roden; Andreas L Birkenfeld; Dominik H Pesta

doi:10.1016/j.tem.2019.07.013

Are Lifestyle Therapies Effective for NAFLD Treatment?

Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2019 Oct;30(10):701-709. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2019.07.013. Epub 2019 Aug 15.

Authors

Nermeen N El-Agroudy¹, Anica Kurzbach¹, Roman N Rodionov², John O'Sullivan³, Michael Roden⁴, Andreas L Birkenfeld⁵, Dominik H Pesta⁶

Affiliations

¹ Medizinische Klinik III, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), München-Neuherberg, Germany.
² Medizinische Klinik III, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
³ Medizinische Klinik III, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute for Clinical Diabetology and Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, German Diabetes Center, Düsseldorf, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), München-Neuherberg, Germany.
⁵ Medizinische Klinik III, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), München-Neuherberg, Germany; Section of Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, Rayne Institute, Denmark Hill Campus, King's College London, London, UK; Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden, Helmholtz Zentrum München at the TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: Andreas.birkenfeld@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
⁶ Institute for Clinical Diabetology and Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, German Diabetes Center, Düsseldorf, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), München-Neuherberg, Germany.

PMID: 31422872
DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2019.07.013

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the most common liver disorder worldwide. Specifically, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis pose an enormous burden for patients and health-care systems. In the absence of approved pharmacological therapies, effective lifestyle interventions for NAFLD, such as dietary strategies and exercise training, are currently the therapeutic strategies of choice. This review covers the influence of macronutrient quality and quantity (i.e., low-carbohydrate and high-protein diets), for successful reduction of intrahepatocellular lipids (IHL). Moreover, we discuss the effectiveness of different modalities of physical exercising with and without weight loss. These lifestyle modifications not only provide strategies to reduce IHL but may also hold a still underestimated potential to induce improvement and/or even remission of NAFLD.

Keywords: NAFLD; exercise; lifestyle modification; nutrition; physical activity; weight loss.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Exercise / physiology
High-Intensity Interval Training
Humans
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / therapy*
Weight Loss / physiology