Effect of intermittent fasting on hepatic steatosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
Liu Q, Zhang L, Wang Y, Li J, Li Y
Clinics and research in hepatology and gastroenterology · 0 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Meta-analysis (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2026-06-29 · Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol · vol. 50 · issue 7 · p. 102875
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Cited
- 2 citations · more than 98% of similar papers · 10.0× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 73 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Dietary Effects on Health · Diet and metabolism studies · Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
- Keywords
- Steatosis, Liver steatosis, Fatty liver, Intermittent fasting, Liver disease, Disease
- MeSH
- humans, fatty liver, fasting, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, intermittent fasting
5 authors
From CN
- Qinhan LiuSouthwest Medical University; Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University
- Ling ZhangSouthwest Medical University; Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University
- Yaomin WangSouthwest Medical University; Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University
- Jun Li · correspondingSouthwest Medical University
- Yaling Li · correspondingSouthwest Medical University; Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University
Abstract
Background
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is marked by hepatic steatosis. While intermittent fasting (IF) lowers weight and lipids in obesity, its effect on MASLD-related liver fat remains unclear.
Methods
We searched the databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase to find studies for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 17.0 were used to perform the meta-analysis, and the results were reported as mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD), along with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results
Finally, eight studies with 389 subjects were included. Meta-analysis showed that: 1) IF significantly improved liver fat content (MD = -3.01, 95% CI [-5.84, -0.18]; P = 0.04) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) in patients with MASLD (MD = -18.64, 95% CI [-30.29, -6.99]; P = 0.002). 2) IF reduced body weight, body mass index (BMI), and triglycerides (TG) in Patients with MASLD, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05).
Conclusion
IF improves hepatic steatosis in MASLD, suggesting a potential to modify disease progression. However, rigorous multicenter randomized trials are required to confirm these findings and develop evidence-based clinical strategies for MASLD management.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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