title: Hepatic effects of dietary weight loss in morbidly obese subjects.
abstract: This prospective study was carried out in order to evaluate the influence on liver morphology and function of a very-low-calorie formula diet. Fourty-one morbidly obese, non-alcoholic subjects had liver biopsy performed before and after a median weight loss of 34 kg. Fatty change improved (p less than 0.001), but 24% of the patients developed slight portal inflammation (p = 0.039) or slight portal fibrosis (p = 0.063). Patients developing portal fibrosis had a higher degree of fatty change at entry (p = 0.029), a more pronounced reduction of fatty change (p = 0.014) and a faster weight loss (p = 0.026). Liver biochemistry, which was of no individual diagnostic value, improved. It is concluded that morbidly obese subjects with a high degree of hepatic fatty change are at risk of developing portal inflammation and fibrosis when undergoing very fast dietary weight reductions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gluud
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Franzmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Christoffersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000009:adverse effects; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies