Hepatic benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in liver disorders

Abstract

Diabetic patients are at higher risk of liver dysfunction compared with the normal population. Thus, using hypoglycemic agents to improve liver efficiency is important in these patients. Sodium-glucose cotransporters-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are newly developed antidiabetic drugs with potent glucose-lowering effects. However, recent limited evidence suggests that they have extra-glycemic benefits and may be able to exert protective effects on the liver. Hence, these drugs could serve as promising pharmacological agents with multiple benefits against different hepatic disorders. In this review, the current knowledge about the possible effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on different forms of liver complications and possible underlying mechanisms are discussed.

Keywords

• diabetes mellitus
• sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors
• liver
• non-alcoholic fatty liver disorders
• fibrosis
• hepatocellular carcinoma
• cirrhosis