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Objective:

We aimed at evaluating whether the addition of low-dose metformin to dietary treatment could be an effective approach in nondiabetic patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods:

We carried out a 6-month prospective study in a series of overweight or obese patients with ultrasonographic diagnosis of hepatic steatosis. In total, 50 patients were enrolled and randomized into two groups: the first group (n= 25) was given metformin (1 g per day) plus dietary treatment and the second group (n= 25) was given dietary treatment alone.

Results:

At the end of the study, the proportion of patients with echographic evidence of fatty liver was reduced in both the metformin (P< 0.0001) and the diet group (P= 0.029). Moreover, patient body mass index and waist circumference significantly decreased in both groups (P< 0.001). Fasting glucose, insulin resistance (evaluated as homeostasis model …