Title:Effect of Rosuvastatin on Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome and Hypercholesterolaemia: A Preliminary Report
Volume: 12
Issue: 3
Author(s): Konstantinos Kargiotis, Niki Katsiki, Vasilios G. Athyros, Olga Giouleme, Kalliopi Patsiaoura, Evangelia Katsiki, Dimitri P. Mikhailidis and Asterios Karagiannis
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidaemia, rosuvastatin.
Abstract: Background: There is no widely accepted treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or its advanced
form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Methods: We administered rosuvastatin (10 mg/day) for 1 year in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS), NASH on
liver biopsy and dyslipidaemia (but without diabetes or arterial hypertension). Patients also received lifestyle advice.
Results: We report preliminary results for 6 patients. The second biopsy (at the end of the study) showed complete resolution
of NASH in 5 patients, while the 6th, which had no improvement, developed arterial hypertension and substantial rise
in triglyceride levels during the study. We suspect alcohol abuse despite advice to abstain. Serum alanine transaminase
(ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) activities were reduced by 76 and 61%, respectively (p < 0.001 for both), during
treatment, while γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT), and alkaline phosphatase (AP) showed smaller non significant reductions.
Fasting plasma glucose and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) were significantly reduced (p<0.05). Lipid values were
totally normalised and liver ultrasonography showed a complete resolution of NASH in 5 patients. Body mass index and
waist circumference remained unchanged during the study. Thus, changes in liver pathology and function should be attributed
to treatment with rosuvastatin. A substantial limitation of the study is the small number of patients.
Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that rosuvastatin could ameliorate NASH within a year of treatment in
MetS patients with dyslipidaemia.
