Effect of SGLT-2 inhibitors on liver fibrosis progression in patients with MASLD: an updated meta-analysis based on RCTs

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Source: Frontiers Medicine

Original: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1667823...

Published: 2026-01-20T00:00:00Z

A meta-analysis of 7 randomized controlled trials with a total of 3006 participants investigated the effect of SGLT-2 inhibitors on liver fibrosis in patients with MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis).[1] SGLT-2 inhibitors significantly reduced the Fib-4 index, NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), and serum collagen 4 levels compared with the control group, indicating improvement in serological parameters of fibrosis.[1] However, no significant differences were found in imaging metrics such as liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and controlled attenuation (CAP).[1] Subgroup analyzes showed that empagliflozin and ipragliflozin may be more effective, with a greater benefit in patients with short-term treatment (less than 24 weeks) and in patients with combined type 2 diabetes.[1] The study concluded that SGLT-2 inhibitors can delay the progression of liver fibrosis in patients with MASLD, mainly by improving serological parameters.[1] However, further high-quality studies are needed to confirm their clinical value.[1]