A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital shows that growth hormone might help improve liver health in people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
This hormone could reduce fat and inflammation in the liver, offering hope for treating a condition that affects millions.
NAFLD is becoming more common around the world. It affects about one in four people and up to 80% of people with obesity in the United States. It’s closely tied to other health problems like obesity and diabetes, both of which are on the rise.
A more serious form of NAFLD, called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), happens when the liver becomes swollen and damaged. If untreated, NASH can lead to liver scarring, cirrhosis, or even liver failure. In fact, NASH is now one of the main reasons people need liver transplants in the U.S.
The researchers chose to study growth hormone because it’s known to reduce body fat and inflammation. People who are overweight usually have lower levels of this hormone, which may be one reason they are more likely to get NAFLD. The scientists wanted to find out if raising growth hormone levels could protect the liver.
In the study, 41 people with NAFLD who were overweight or obese were randomly given either growth hormone or a placebo (a fake treatment) for six months. It was a double-blind study, meaning neither the participants nor the researchers knew who was getting the real treatment until the study ended.
The results were promising. People who received growth hormone had a much bigger drop in liver fat than those who took the placebo. MRI scans showed that their liver inflammation and scarring also improved. Blood tests found better liver function and lower levels of inflammation. Even better, the treatment was safe and well tolerated.
These findings suggest that growth hormone could be a new way to treat NAFLD and possibly prevent it from turning into more serious liver problems like NASH or cirrhosis. It shows how hormones affect not just growth and weight but also liver health.
More research is still needed to confirm these results and find out the best way to use growth hormone in treatment. But this study is a hopeful step toward better care for a condition that impacts so many people.
The study was led by Laura Dichtel and her team and was published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about Healthy liver, happy life: new advice for keeping your liver in top shape and findings of Ibuprofen may have significant impact on the liver.
For more about liver health, please read studies about Fatty liver disease linked to severe infections and findings of A new drug for weight loss and liver health.
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