title: Liraglutide improves carotid intima-media thickness in patients with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: an 8-month prospective pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effects of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor analogue liraglutide on subclinical atherosclerosis in diabetic subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this 8-month prospective study, 29 subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and NAFLD (16 men and 13 women, mean age: 61 ± 10 years) were matched for age and gender with 29 subjects with T2DM without NAFLD (16 men and 13 women, mean age: 61 ± 8 years). Liraglutide 0.6 mg/day for 2 weeks, followed by 1.2 mg/day, was given in addition to metformin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anthropometric variables, glucometabolic parameters and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) using B-mode real-time ultrasound were assessed at baseline and 4 and 8 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Glycated hemoglobin reduced significantly in both groups. No significant changes were found in body weight, waist circumference and lipids. Carotid IMT decreased significantly in the T2DM patients with NAFLD (from 0.96 ± 0.27 to 0.82 ± 0.17 to 0.85 ± 0.12 mm, p = 0.0325), but not in the T2DM patients without NAFLD (from 0.91 ± 0.23 to 0.88 ± 0.17 to 0.85 ± 0.15 mm, p = 0.4473).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eight months of liraglutide use in patients with T2DM and NAFLD significantly reduced carotid IMT, a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis, independently of glucometabolic changes.
authors.affiliation: a 1 University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism , Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Ali A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rizvi
authors.affiliation: b 2 University of Palermo, Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties , Via del Vespro, 141, 90127, Palermo, Italy +39 091 6552945 ; +39 091 6552945 ; manfredi.rizzo@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Angelo Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Patti
authors.affiliation: b 2 University of Palermo, Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties , Via del Vespro, 141, 90127, Palermo, Italy +39 091 6552945 ; +39 091 6552945 ; manfredi.rizzo@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Rosaria Vincenza
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Giglio
authors.affiliation: b 2 University of Palermo, Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties , Via del Vespro, 141, 90127, Palermo, Italy +39 091 6552945 ; +39 091 6552945 ; manfredi.rizzo@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Dragana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nikolic
authors.affiliation: c 3 University of Palermo, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies , Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amato
authors.affiliation: d 4 Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry , Muscat, Oman.
authors.forename: Noor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Al-Busaidi
authors.affiliation: d 4 Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry , Muscat, Oman.
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al-Rasadi
authors.affiliation: b 2 University of Palermo, Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties , Via del Vespro, 141, 90127, Palermo, Italy +39 091 6552945 ; +39 091 6552945 ; manfredi.rizzo@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soresi
authors.affiliation: e 5 University of Lodz, Department of Hypertension, Chair of Nephrology and Hypertension , Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Banach
authors.affiliation: b 2 University of Palermo, Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties , Via del Vespro, 141, 90127, Palermo, Italy +39 091 6552945 ; +39 091 6552945 ; manfredi.rizzo@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Montalto
authors.affiliation: a 1 University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism , Columbia, SC, USA.|b 2 University of Palermo, Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties , Via del Vespro, 141, 90127, Palermo, Italy +39 091 6552945 ; +39 091 6552945 ; manfredi.rizzo@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Manfredi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D000069450:Liraglutide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D008055:Lipids; D000069450:Liraglutide
keywords: carotid intima-media thickness; liraglutide; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; type 2 diabetes