Decrease of aminotransferase levels in obese women is related to body weight reduction, irrespective of type of diet.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of low carbohydrate diet (LCD) as compared with low fat diet (LFD) to decrease aminotransferase levels in obese women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 59 women were randomly enrolled in a non-controlled clinical intervention study to receive either LCD or LFD during six months. Apparently healthy non-pregnant obese women aged 20 to 65 years were eligible to participate. Previous diagnosis of hepatic disease, serum creatinine level ≥ 1.5 mg/dL, severe life-limiting medical illness, pregnancy, active participation in other dietary program, use of weight loss drugs, or alcohol consumption ≥ 30 g per day were exclusion criteria. RESULTS: A total of 31 obese women who received LCD were compared with 28 women allocated in the LFD group. There were 3 (LCD group) and 2 (LFD group) women with lost of follow-up. No differences in the proportion of type 2 diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia were noted between women in the LCD and LFD groups. At end of follow-up, there were not significant statistical differences in the anthropometric and biochemical characteristics between women in both groups. The weight loss was 5.7 and 5.5% for women in the LCD LFD groups. Although the decrease of AST (31.7 and 22.4%) and ALT (41 and 33.3%) levels was more elevated in the women of LCD group, as compared with the LFD group, there were not significant statistical differences. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that weight loss, irrespective of the type of diet, reduces aminotransferase levels in obese women with NAFLD.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in asymptomatic obese women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical characteristics of NAFLD in asymptomatic obese women. METHODS: A total of 457 asymptomatic obese women were enrolled in a cross-sectional study and allocated into groups with and without NAFLD. Irrespective of ALT levels, diagnosis of NAFLD was established by ultrasonographic findings; irrespective of fibrosis, NASH was defined by hepatic histological changes. RESULTS: One hundred ninety five (42.7%) women had elevated ALT levels. Diagnosis of NAFLD was established in 228 (49.9%) women; among women with NAFLD, 34 (14.9%) have ALT levels within the normal range. On the other hand, based on the healthy range for ALT levels (19 UI/L), 336 (73.5%) women had elevated ALT, but only 2 (0.9%) women with NAFLD exhibited ALT levels within normal healthy values. Furthermore, 93 (41%) women who had AST/ALT levels (3) 1 underwent liver biopsy; of these, 90 (96.8%) had diagnosis of NASH and 3 (3.2%) of hepatic cirrhosis. Women with NAFLD were more obese and have higher fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, ALT, and AST levels than obese women without NAFLD. Seventy six (16.6%) women had diagnosis of diabetes; of these 47 (61.8) in the NAFLD group. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study support the statement that women with NAFLD have an adverse metabolic profile. Furthermore, our results show that hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and markers of liver injury such as AST/ALT > or = 1 may be useful for early recognition of NAFLD.

Oral magnesium supplementation decreases alanine aminotransferase levels in obese women.

To evaluate the effect of oral supplementation with magnesium chloride on the systemic and hepatic inflammation, 38 non-hypertensive obese women aged 30 to 65 years were allocated into groups with and without hypomagnesemia. Hypomagnesemic women drank 50 mL of 5% solution of MgCl2 equivalent to 450 mg of elemental magnesium. Low-carbohydrate diets and physical activity were indicated for women in both groups. Chronic diarrhea, alcohol intake, use of diuretics, previous oral magnesium supplementation, hepatic disease, and renal damage were exclusion criteria. Hypomagnesemia is defined by serum magnesium concentrationsor=40 U/L, and systemic inflammation by serum high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentration>or=3 mg/L. At baseline (p=0.06) and final of follow-up (p=0.80), there were no significant differences by body mass index between the groups in the study. In the same way, at baseline ALT (48.1+/-25.5 and 34.6+/-24.1 U/L, p=0.14) and hs-CRP (9.4+/-6.0 and 7.9+/-5.9 mg/dL, p=0.47) levels were similar in the supplemented and non-supplemented women. In the magnesium group, ALT (24.3+/-10.3 and 34.8+/-13.6 U/L, p=0.02) levels, but not hs-CRP (5.2+/-1.9 and 8.0+/-5.6 mg/L, p=0.08) reached significantly lower levels, in the fourth month of treatment, than in women in the control group. The adjusted odds ratios between the improvement in serum magnesium and reduction in ALT and hs-CRP levels were 0.56 (95% CI: 0.3-0.9) and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.6-29.9), respectively. Results of this study show that in hypomagnesemic obese women, oral supplementation with magnesium chloride reduces plasma ALT levels; hs-CRP levels only show a reduction trend.