In 503 obese patients across 10 South Korean hospitals, liraglutide 3.0 mg continuously improved liver enzyme levels, fatty liver scores, and insulin sensitivity over 6 months with no serious adverse events.
NAFLD score: 2.12 → 0.43Liver fat score dropped 80% over 6 months of liraglutide treatment across 10 South Korean hospitals
What the researchers found
Liraglutide 3.0 mg reduced AST from 33.2 to 27.4 IU/L (p<0.001), ALT from 41.6 to 30.6 IU/L (p<0.001), HSI from 44.7 to 42.2 (p<0.001), and NAFLD liver fat score from 2.12 to 0.43 (p<0.001) over 6 months. Insulin sensitivity improved from 4.38 to 4.72 (p<0.001).
Why it matters
MASLD affects a large proportion of people with obesity and can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Demonstrating that a GLP-1 peptide drug improves liver health markers in real clinical practice—not just controlled trials—supports its use as a dual-purpose treatment for obesity and liver disease.
The numbers in context
503 enrolled, 101 completed 6 months. AST dropped from 33.2 to 27.4 IU/L (P < 0.001). ALT dropped from 41.6 to 30.6 IU/L (P < 0.001). HSI dropped from 44.7 to 42.2 (P < 0.001). NAFLD liver fat score dropped from 2.12 to 0.43 (P < 0.001).
How the study worked
Prospective real-world multicenter study across 10 tertiary hospitals in South Korea. 503 adults with BMI ≥27 and obesity-related comorbidities, followed at 2, 4, and 6 months with anthropometric and biochemical assessments.
Who was studied
Obese adults with MASLD at 10 tertiary hospitals in South Korea
What this study cannot tell us
No control group (single-arm observational study). Significant attrition: 503 enrolled but only 101 completed 6 months. Surrogate markers used rather than direct liver imaging or biopsy. Results may partly reflect weight loss effects rather than direct hepatic action.
How to read the evidence
Multicenter real-world observational study with significant sample size. Provides practical clinical evidence but lacks control group and uses surrogate markers. High attrition limits long-term conclusions.
When this study was published
Published in 2025; represents current real-world evidence for GLP-1 drugs in fatty liver disease.
The bigger picture
This adds to mounting evidence that GLP-1 peptide drugs benefit liver health alongside weight and metabolic improvements. As MASLD affects up to 30% of the global population, the potential for GLP-1 drugs to address liver disease concurrently with obesity could significantly expand their clinical impact.
Questions still open
- Does liraglutide improve actual liver histology (biopsy-confirmed) in MASLD, or only surrogate blood markers?
- How does liraglutide compare to semaglutide or resmetirom for MASLD treatment?
- What explains the high dropout rate from 503 to 101 patients over 6 months?
Common questions
Can liraglutide treat fatty liver disease?
How quickly did liver markers improve with liraglutide?
Read the original research
Impact of Liraglutide 3.0 mg on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Individuals with Obesity: A Real-World Study.
Annals of nutrition & metabolism, 81(6), 328-337
Citation
Park, Jungha; Kim, Jin-Wook; Lim, Soo. (2025). Impact of Liraglutide 3.0 mg on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Individuals with Obesity: A Real-World Study.. Annals of nutrition & metabolism, 81(6), 328-337. https://doi.org/10.1159/000547347