MASLD in Primary Hypothyroidism and Efficacy of Dapaglifozin

Plain-language summary

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global epidemic with a prevalence of 25-40%.Primary Hypothyroidism is one of Endocrinopathies who are at risk of developing NAFLD/NASH and estimated prevalence of Primary Hypothyroidism in NAFLD patients is 10-15 %.Though First line Management is Dietary changes and lifestyle modifications(LSM),unfortunately Adherence to Lifestyle has been poor,rise of Lean NAFLD is on rise, faster progression of NAFLD,evolving risk factors for NAFLD like endocrinopathies,these push need for Pharmacotherapy.Currently therapies for NAFLD patients without diabetes mellitus (DM) are limited, and are associated with various adverse side effects. Sodium-glucose cotransporter type-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors can reduce hepatic fat content in patients with DM which is independent of glycemic control. However, the role of SGLT2 inhibitors in NAFLD patients without DM has not been investigated.Magnetic resonance imaging-derived proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) is an emerging non-invasive imaging technique, and is more sensitive than liver biopsy/histology in quantifying liver fat change. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by Transient Elastography is a non-invasive method to diagnose fibrosis/cirrhosis with high accuracy.The novelty of utilizing the concept of "drug repositioning" by changing the role of SGLT2 inhibitors in treating DM to treating NAFLD in patients without DM deserves exploration.The investigators propose a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to compare the effects of Dapagliflozin (a type of SLGT2 inhibitors) versus placebo (in a 1:1 ratio) in reducing hepatic fat content as measured by MRI-PDFF in NAFLD patients with Primary Hypothyroidism.The study results will determine whether SGLT2 inhibitors can reduce hepatic steatosis/hepatic fibrosis in NAFLD patients with Primary Hypothyroidism.

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