Fat jabs can treat liver disease affecting one in five people, finds trial
FAT jabs can treat a liver disease affecting one in five people, a trial found.
Semaglutide cut inflammation in two thirds of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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The medicine is used in weight-loss injection Wegovy and diabetes treatment Ozempic.
Fatty liver disease is triggered by excess flab which causes unhealthy fat cells to build up.
It has no specific cure and may cause cancer in later life.
In the study, King’s College London looked at the jabs’ impact on 800 patients with the disease.
After 18 months, 63 per cent showed a reduction in swelling and fatty build-up in their liver.
They also had healthier blood test results and lost nearly 11 per cent of their weight.
Study author Professor Philip Newsome said: “This trial will provide real hope for patients.”
THERE are several stages of NAFLD.
Having one stage does not mean you will definitely develop the next one.
Treating NAFLD with a healthy diet, physical activity and weight loss can slow or even reverse it, especially if it is at an earlier stage.
The amount of scarring (fibrosis) in your liver is the main sign of how advanced your NAFLD is. Go to the section about fibrosis tests and scores.
- Fatty liver: There is a build-up of fat in your liver but it has not been damaged and there is no scarring. At this point, NAFLD can be fully reversed.
- Non-alcohol related steatohepatitis (NASH) with mild fibrosis : Fat is causing inflammation and damage in your liver (hepatitis). There is no or very little scarring. Healthy living can undo the damage and reverse your NAFLD.
- NASH with moderate fibrosis: Inflammation and damage have caused some scarring. Your liver is probably still working well and the damage can mostly be repaired.
- NASH with advanced fibrosis: There is a lot of scarring. At this stage it is very important to stop further damage and scarring so your NAFLD doesn’t get worse. And it is still possible to repair some damage.
- Cirrhosis: There is so much scarring it changes the shape of your liver. Your liver can keep working and even repair some damage at this point. But if too much of it becomes scarred, your liver may not be able to carry out its job properly.
Cirrhosis can lead to life-threatening conditions including liver cancer and liver failure.
Source: The British Liver Trust
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
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