Resmetirom reduces liver fat and improves quality of life of NASH patients

USA: A new article published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology shows that in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients taking resmetirom, the health-related quality of life (HRQL) was seen to improve along with reduced hepatic fat fraction and/or Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Activity Score on serial liver biopsy.

NASH is a chronic liver disease linked to poor clinical outcomes and a lower quality of life. As a result, Zobair M. Younossi and colleagues undertook this study to determine the link between hepatic fat reduction and HRQL in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Patients with biopsy-proven non-cirrhotic NASH and a hepatic fat fraction of less than 10% by magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction were enrolled in phase 2 multicenter, randomized, double-double-blind, placebo-controlled resmetirom research. Throughout the 36-week therapy period, HRQL was measured using the Short Form-36.

The key findings of this study were as follows:

1. A total of 125 NASH patients were included in the study.

2. 84 individuals were given 80 mg of resmetirom per day, while 41 were given a placebo.

3. HRQL ratings were not distinctive population norms at the start. By treatment week 12, patients who received resmetirom had improved their Bodily Pain and Short Form-6D utility ratings (P.05); there was no improvement in HRQL in the placebo group.

4. Improvement in PCS persisted until week 36 of resmetirom therapy, with no change in the placebo group.

5. Meeting the goal of a drop in proton density fat fraction of 30% by week 12 was independently linked with larger gains in Physical Functioning and PCS scores at week 36 (P.05), after adjusting for baseline score and clinicodemographic variables.

6. Patients who improved their NASH and fibrosis on liver biopsy also improved their HRQL components.

The PI concluded that when resmetirom is used to treating NASH, it improves HRQL and also reduces hepatic fat, which in turn leads to improvements in a certain quality of life components.

Reference:

Younossi, Z. M., Stepanova, M., Taub, R. A., Barbone, J. M., & Harrison, S. A. (2022). Hepatic Fat Reduction Due to Resmetirom in Patients With Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Is Associated With Improvement of Quality of Life. In Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Vol. 20, Issue 6, pp. 1354-1361.e7). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2021.07.039