Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist and reduced liver and non-liver complications in adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a target trial emulation study

Background/Aims Information about the association of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1RA) with liver and non-liver complications is insufficient in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). We conducted a target trial emulation st...

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Main Authors: Xianhua Mao, Xinrong Zhang, Rongtao Lai, Ka-Shing Cheung, Man-Fung Yuen, Ramsey Cheung, Wai-Kay Seto, Mindie H. Nguyen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Korean Association for the Study of the Liver 2025-07-01
Series:Clinical and Molecular Hepatology
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Online Access:http://e-cmh.org/upload/pdf/cmh-2024-1096.pdf
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author Xianhua Mao
Xinrong Zhang
Rongtao Lai
Ka-Shing Cheung
Man-Fung Yuen
Ramsey Cheung
Wai-Kay Seto
Mindie H. Nguyen
author_facet Xianhua Mao
Xinrong Zhang
Rongtao Lai
Ka-Shing Cheung
Man-Fung Yuen
Ramsey Cheung
Wai-Kay Seto
Mindie H. Nguyen
author_sort Xianhua Mao
collection DOAJ
description Background/Aims Information about the association of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1RA) with liver and non-liver complications is insufficient in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). We conducted a target trial emulation study to evaluate whether GLP-1RA decreases the risk of liver and non-liver outcomes. Methods Patients with T2D and MASLD initiating GLP-1RA or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4i) were included from 2013 to 2022 in Merative™ Marketscan® Research Databases. Primary outcomes included incidences of (1) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis, and (2) cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and non-liver cancer. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was applied to balance baseline characteristics and Cox regression models were conducted to estimate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results In the intention-to-treat design, GLP-1RA, compared with DPP-4i, had a significantly lower incidence (per 1,000 person-years) of HCC (0.8 vs. 1.7; HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.39–0.71), of cirrhosis (29.3 vs. 32.9; HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86–0.96), of CVD (57.2 vs. 73.9; HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.86–0.95), of CKD (4.5 vs. 6.8; HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.64–0.84), and of non-liver cancer (16.9 vs. 22.9; HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.77–0.89). In the per-protocol design, significant inverse associations for these study outcomes still were observed, with HR 0.60–0.77. Conclusions In this emulated target trial of nationwide patients with T2D and MASLD, GLP-1RA use, when compared with DPP-4i, was associated with a significantly lower risk of liver and non-liver complications.
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spelling doaj-art-2889c7c7bc784c319635d35d44bcb1ee2025-08-20T03:17:26ZengKorean Association for the Study of the LiverClinical and Molecular Hepatology2287-27282287-285X2025-07-013131084109910.3350/cmh.2024.10962241Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist and reduced liver and non-liver complications in adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a target trial emulation studyXianhua Mao0Xinrong Zhang1Rongtao Lai2Ka-Shing Cheung3Man-Fung Yuen4Ramsey Cheung5Wai-Kay Seto6Mindie H. Nguyen7 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USABackground/Aims Information about the association of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1RA) with liver and non-liver complications is insufficient in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). We conducted a target trial emulation study to evaluate whether GLP-1RA decreases the risk of liver and non-liver outcomes. Methods Patients with T2D and MASLD initiating GLP-1RA or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4i) were included from 2013 to 2022 in Merative™ Marketscan® Research Databases. Primary outcomes included incidences of (1) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis, and (2) cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and non-liver cancer. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was applied to balance baseline characteristics and Cox regression models were conducted to estimate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results In the intention-to-treat design, GLP-1RA, compared with DPP-4i, had a significantly lower incidence (per 1,000 person-years) of HCC (0.8 vs. 1.7; HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.39–0.71), of cirrhosis (29.3 vs. 32.9; HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86–0.96), of CVD (57.2 vs. 73.9; HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.86–0.95), of CKD (4.5 vs. 6.8; HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.64–0.84), and of non-liver cancer (16.9 vs. 22.9; HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.77–0.89). In the per-protocol design, significant inverse associations for these study outcomes still were observed, with HR 0.60–0.77. Conclusions In this emulated target trial of nationwide patients with T2D and MASLD, GLP-1RA use, when compared with DPP-4i, was associated with a significantly lower risk of liver and non-liver complications.http://e-cmh.org/upload/pdf/cmh-2024-1096.pdfcardiovascular diseasemetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseasenon-alcoholic fatty liver diseasefatty liverliver cancer
spellingShingle Xianhua Mao
Xinrong Zhang
Rongtao Lai
Ka-Shing Cheung
Man-Fung Yuen
Ramsey Cheung
Wai-Kay Seto
Mindie H. Nguyen
Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist and reduced liver and non-liver complications in adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a target trial emulation study
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology
cardiovascular disease
metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
fatty liver
liver cancer
title Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist and reduced liver and non-liver complications in adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a target trial emulation study
title_full Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist and reduced liver and non-liver complications in adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a target trial emulation study
title_fullStr Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist and reduced liver and non-liver complications in adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a target trial emulation study
title_full_unstemmed Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist and reduced liver and non-liver complications in adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a target trial emulation study
title_short Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist and reduced liver and non-liver complications in adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a target trial emulation study
title_sort glucagon like peptide 1 receptor agonist and reduced liver and non liver complications in adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease a target trial emulation study
topic cardiovascular disease
metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
fatty liver
liver cancer
url http://e-cmh.org/upload/pdf/cmh-2024-1096.pdf
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