150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week reduces liver fat, study finds

150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise per week, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, can significantly reduce liver fat, according to a new study by researchers at Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine. The team’s meta-analysis of 14 previous studies confirms that exercise leads to a clinically meaningful reduction in liver fat in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Previous studies have suggested that physical activity may be beneficial, but the specific amount of exercise required to produce clinically meaningful improvements has not been determined.

Jonathan Stine, associate professor of medicine and public health sciences and hepatologist at Pennsylvania State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, said: “Setting a target amount of physical activity allows healthcare and exercise professionals to develop personalized approaches to help patients modify their lifestyles and become more physically active. it helps you to.”

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects nearly 30% of the world’s population and over time can lead to cirrhosis (also known as liver scarring) and cancer. There are no approved drug treatments or effective treatments for this common condition. However, research has shown that exercise can improve liver fat, strength, body composition, and quality of life in patients.

According to Stine, previous studies have shown that the “amount” of exercise required to achieve clinically meaningful improvement in patients with NAFLD is at least as high as liver fat measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). was defined as a relative reduction of 30%.

Stine reviewed 14 studies involving a total of 551 subjects with NAFLD who participated in randomized controlled trials that included exercise interventions. His team evaluated pooled data from all studies, including age, gender, body mass index, weight change, exercise regimen adherence, and MRI-measured liver fat.

The investigators’ primary objective in this study was to examine the association between exercise training and clinically relevant improvements in liver fat. Apart from weight loss, the research team found that exercise training could achieve a clinically meaningful treatment response (a 30% or greater relative reduction in liver fat as measured by MRI) compared to standard clinical care. found to be 3.5 times more likely to

In a secondary analysis, the team determined the optimal ‘dose’ of exercise to achieve clinically meaningful improvements in liver fat. found that 39% of patients prescribed 150 minutes of brisk walking) achieved a significant therapeutic response, compared to only 26% of patients prescribed lesser amounts of exercise. bottom.

This is the same amount of physical activity recommended by the American Society of Gastroenterology and the European Society of Hepatology. Result is, American Journal of Gastroenterology.

According to Stine, when this amount of exercise was prescribed, clinically relevant reductions in MRI-measured liver fat were reported in early-stage NASH drug trials evaluating drugs that block adipogenesis. achieved at the same speed as

“Because exercise is a lifestyle modification, the fact that treatments under development may be consistent with their ability to achieve the same results is important,” said Stein, a researcher at the Pennsylvania State Cancer Institute. “Clinicians counseling NAFLD patients should recommend this amount of activity to their patients. This is an example.”

Stine said more research, especially randomized controlled trials, is needed to validate the findings and directly compare the effects of different amounts of exercise.