Dietary and medical approaches for Type 2 diabetes and liver disease

Recent medical insights highlight various strategies for managing metabolic dysfunction associated with Type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

A clinical study conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and the Yale School of Medicine, published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, found that a low-fat vegan diet can significantly impact metabolic health. Over a 16-week period, participants with Type 2 diabetes following a plant-based diet, consisting of approximately 75 percent carbohydrates, 15 percent protein, and 10 percent fat, saw a 33 percent reduction in liver fat. Other observed benefits included an average weight loss of 6.0 kilograms, a 1.0 percent drop in HbA1c levels, and improvements in insulin sensitivity and cholesterol levels.

In addition to nutritional interventions, pharmacological options such as incretin analogues, SGLT2 inhibitors, and statins are increasingly used for patients with cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and MASLD. While data regarding the use of these medications in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis or severe fibrosis remains limited, medical experts suggest these therapies should not be withheld from liver patients.