VIDEO: Patients with fatty liver disease lost weight following metabolic fitness program

WASHINGTON — In this exclusive video from Emerging Trends in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Monica Konerman, MD, MSc, of the department of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Michigan, discusses a study conducted at the university that reviewed the impact of a structured health education, nutrition and physical activity program among patients with and without fatty liver disease.

“What we know is that lifestyle interventions are the first line therapy for patients with NAFLD; these can be quite difficult,” Konerman said. “It’s been shown in numerous studies that highly regimented programs for diet and lifestyle changes in general tend to be most efficacious to achieve significant weight loss.”

Researchers originally developed the Metabolic Fitness Program for patients with cardiac disease and those who meet the criteria for metabolic syndromes. The aim of the study was to analyze the overall prevalence of fatty liver disease among patients enrolled in the program, the different characteristics among the patients with or without fatty liver disease and the efficacy of the program among patients with or without fatty liver disease.

The results showed that approximately 50% of the enrolled patients met criteria for fatty liver disease. These patients, in general, had more profound metabolic derangements and tended to lose more weight than those without fatty liver disease.

“These pre-existing programs we think are beneficial for patients with fatty liver disease,” Konerman said. “We still need to make other strides to try and help patients incorporate this kind of first line therapy.”

Disclosure: Konerman reports no relevant financial disclosures.