AimThis work aims to assess the effect of weekly subcutaneous semaglutide on biomarkers of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), namely the hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, at 24weeks in outpatients attended to in internal medicine departments. MethodsThis study analyzed patients in an ongoing, multicenter, prospective, pre-post, uncontrolled cohort registry that enrolls unique, consecutive patients with type2 diabetes treated with weekly subcutaneous semaglutide. Steatosis/fibrosis were determined by HSI (<30 ruled out, >36 steatosis) and FIB-4 (<1.3 ruled out, >2.67 fibrosis), respectively. ResultsThe sample included 213 patients (46.9% women) with a median age of 64 (±19) years. The median baseline body mass index and weight were 36.1 (±8.4) kg/m2 and 98 (±26.9) kg, respectively. A total of 99.9% had HSI values indicating steatosis, with a mean HSI of 47.9 (±8.2). Additionally, 10.8% had fibrosis (FIB-4 >2.67) and 42.72% had values in intermediate ranges (FIB-4 1.3-2.67). At 24weeks, there was a significant reduction in HSI (−2.36 (95%CI: 1.83-2.9), p<0.00001) and FIB-4 (−0.075 (95%CI: 0.015-0.14), p<0.016), mainly related to declines in body weight, triglyceride levels, insulin resistance (estimated by the triglyceride-glucose index), and liver enzymes. ConclusionThese results show that weekly subcutaneous semaglutide had a beneficial effect on liver steatosis that went beyond glucose control. Its effects were mainly related to weight loss, a decline in biomarkers, and improvements in insulin sensitivity. For many patients, early detection is essential for improving MAFLD outcomes and may allow for selecting the most efficient treatment options.
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