The Role of Thiazolidinediones in the Amelioration of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a broad term encompassing hepatic steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a form of chronic hepatitis. This may, unfortunately, lead to terminal complications like cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). NAFLD is strongly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. The growing prevalence of NAFLD, its associated conditions, and its complications are alarming. The insulin sensitizer group "thiazolidinediones" has shown some therapeutic benefits in this condition. This systematic review is intended to focus on the clinical efficacy of this group in patients with NAFLD, employing PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library as databases. We discovered 10 randomized control trials (RCTs; nine involving pioglitazone and one involving rosiglitazone) involving 887 participants. All studies varied in duration from 6 to 24 months. Most of the involved trials had a small number of participants, and the intrinsic quality of the studies was mixed. Pioglitazone consistently improved histological parameters and normalized liver transaminases, although evidence supporting the benefits of other drugs in this class was minimal. Thiazolidinediones, particularly pioglitazone, have proven efficacious in patients with NAFLD/NASH. However, more extensive trials need to be carried out to investigate this drug class's benefits further. Unfortunately, this drug has attendant side effects like weight gain and fractures, limiting its widespread use; hence, careful selection for likely candidates is imperative.