Active clinical trials for "Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease"

Due to the western lifestyle, correlated with a high calorie intake and low physical activity, obesity is becoming a major health problem. All over the world obesity reaches epidemic proportions. Obesity is closely linked to type 2 diabetes, a multi-factorial disease that increases the presence of multiple health problems. Until now, exercise and dietary intervention seem to be the single most effective interventions to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In obesity and type 2 diabetes, not only fat accumulation in adipose tissue, but also fat accumulation in the peripheral tissues occurs. Fat accumulation in peripheral tissues has been associated with insulin resistance. Exercise seems to have a positive effect on the accumulation of fat in the peripheral tissue and on the insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic patients. In this study we want to investigate if a prolonged exercise training program can lower the intrahepatic lipid content and can improve the metabolism of the liver in type 2 diabetic patients and patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and to examine if this leads to improvements in metabolic risk markers. To this end, we will include investigation of the effect of exercise on adipose tissue (inflammatory markers and adipocyte size) and skeletal muscle (ex vivo lipid metabolism) to incorporate the effect of exercise on liver, muscle and adipose tissue and to clarify the crosstalk between these tissues in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes.

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) has been used worldwide to help selected morbidly obese adults to lose weight. The FDA has approved LAGB only for patients 18 years or older. Our hypothesis that LAGB can be used to assist selected adolescents between 14 and 17 years lose weight and that the procedure can be performed safely in this age group. We are also evaluating the effects of weight loss after LAGB on known comorbid conditions such as sleep apnea syndrome and insulin resistance, and also on psychological health.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects and safety of pioglitazone and berberine on the basis of lifestyle intervention to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients with impaired glucose regulation or type 2 diabetes mellitus.

One third of the population in the United States has nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the progressive form of NAFLD, can lead to cirrhosis.Currently, there is no proven therapy for patients with NASH. The investigators core hypothesis is that therapy of patients with NASH with pentoxifylline (PTX) for one year will result in improvement of biochemical parameters of liver disease and hepatic histology. The focus of this proposal is on the effectiveness of pentoxifylline (PTX) in improving laboratory and tissue parameters of liver disease, parameters of insulin-resistance, and levels of cytokines in patients with NASH.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of phlebotomy (blood taking)as a treatment for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The purpose of this study is to assess the safety, the tolerability and the short term effect on liver enzymes of TRO19622 500 mg for one month in patients with Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH).

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) occurs in 2-3% of the US population and carries a 15-20% chance of progression to cirrhosis. It is closely associated with obesity, hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance. Therapy usually includes recommendations to increase exercise and to begin weight reducing diets but these goals are variably achieved and their relative effects in conjunction with pharmacological intervention have not been well defined. Moreover, these lifestyle changes can confound results of treatment trials if not quantified through conditioning testing and measures of body fat. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially formulation rich in omega-3, are widely accepted and endorsed in the medical community for their beneficial effects on hyperlipidemia and coronary disease risk reduction. Recent data suggests that omega-3 fatty acids ameliorate hepatic steatosis in humans and in animal models of NASH by reducing hepatic fat content. We hypothesize that a one year course of omega-3 fatty acid (3gm/day) will produce improvement in NASH histological injury independent of changes in weight (BMI) or degree of conditioning measured by the lactate threshold. The effects of the supplement will be compared to a placebo group and controlled for these lifestyle changes.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether the addition of Diamel, a nutritional supplement, to hypocaloric diet and exercise could improve the histological results (steatosis, necro-inflammatory activity and fibrosis), insulin resistance, aminotransferase levels and anthropometric measures in comparison with a placebo-controlled group with hypocaloric diet and exercise during 52 weeks of treatment in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Moderate exercise with a low fat and/or a moderate fat with low processed carbohydrate diet will have a greater effect on slowing disease progression and reversing hepatic steatosis and/or necro-inflammation in the liver of adult patients with NAFLD and NASH when compared to a regular healthy diet alone.

The overall purpose of this study is to examine the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (how the body processes a drug), and activity of GS-9450 in preventing liver damage due to scarring, or fibrosis, caused by Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (also known as NASH).