Scholarlink

Background <p>Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a significant and escalating public health challenge, particularly in obese, sedentary populations. Hybrid exercise training, integrating electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) with voluntary muscle contractions, offers a novel, low-impact therapeutic modality; however, its clinical efficacy remains underexplored.</p> Objectives <p>This randomized controlled trial investigated the clinical efficacy of hybrid exercise training in improving hepatic steatosis, liver enzyme profiles, systemic inflammation, and metabolic health in sedentary, obese, middle-aged women with NAFLD.</p> Methods <p>Thirty women with ultrasound-confirmed grade 2–3 NAFLD were randomized to either six weeks of hybrid exercise training (<i>n</i> = 15) or lifestyle counseling (<i>n</i> = 15). Primary and secondary outcomes included liver steatosis grade, serum liver enzymes (AST, ALT), inflammatory marker IL-6, fasting blood glucose, and anthropometric parameters.</p> Results <p>Hybrid exercise training led to significant improvements compared with lifestyle counseling. Steatosis grade decreased markedly (− 0.80 vs. −0.02; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01; η² = 0.38), accompanied by large reductions in ALT (− 31.86 U/L; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01; η² = 0.65) and AST (− 27.46 U/L; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01; η² = 0.61). IL-6 concentrations declined (− 3.0 pg/mL; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05; η² = 0.42), while anthropometric outcomes improved (body weight − 4.51&#xa0;kg, BMI − 1.56&#xa0;kg/m², WHR − 0.042; all <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01; η² ≥ 0.52). Correlation analyses showed that decreases in IL-6 were strongly associated with improvements in ALT (<i>r</i> = − 0.72, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01) and AST (<i>r</i> = − 0.68, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01).</p> Conclusions <p>Hybrid exercise training is a safe, feasible, and clinically effective intervention for improving liver health and attenuating systemic inflammation in obese women with NAFLD, with strong associations between IL-6 reductions and liver enzyme improvements.</p> Clinical trial registration <p>ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05231564, Registered on 28 February 2022.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

“Hybrid exercise training improves liver steatosis and inflammation in a randomized trial of sedentary, obese women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月24日

查看全文
  • Niloofar Zareie Mohammadzadeh,
  • Mohammadreza Rezaeipour

摘要

Background

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a significant and escalating public health challenge, particularly in obese, sedentary populations. Hybrid exercise training, integrating electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) with voluntary muscle contractions, offers a novel, low-impact therapeutic modality; however, its clinical efficacy remains underexplored.

Objectives

This randomized controlled trial investigated the clinical efficacy of hybrid exercise training in improving hepatic steatosis, liver enzyme profiles, systemic inflammation, and metabolic health in sedentary, obese, middle-aged women with NAFLD.

Methods

Thirty women with ultrasound-confirmed grade 2–3 NAFLD were randomized to either six weeks of hybrid exercise training (n = 15) or lifestyle counseling (n = 15). Primary and secondary outcomes included liver steatosis grade, serum liver enzymes (AST, ALT), inflammatory marker IL-6, fasting blood glucose, and anthropometric parameters.

Results

Hybrid exercise training led to significant improvements compared with lifestyle counseling. Steatosis grade decreased markedly (− 0.80 vs. −0.02; p < 0.01; η² = 0.38), accompanied by large reductions in ALT (− 31.86 U/L; p < 0.01; η² = 0.65) and AST (− 27.46 U/L; p < 0.01; η² = 0.61). IL-6 concentrations declined (− 3.0 pg/mL; p < 0.05; η² = 0.42), while anthropometric outcomes improved (body weight − 4.51 kg, BMI − 1.56 kg/m², WHR − 0.042; all p < 0.01; η² ≥ 0.52). Correlation analyses showed that decreases in IL-6 were strongly associated with improvements in ALT (r = − 0.72, p < 0.01) and AST (r = − 0.68, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Hybrid exercise training is a safe, feasible, and clinically effective intervention for improving liver health and attenuating systemic inflammation in obese women with NAFLD, with strong associations between IL-6 reductions and liver enzyme improvements.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05231564, Registered on 28 February 2022.