Assessment of efficacy and safety of rosuvastatin as an adjunct to lifestyle modification in patients of metabolic dysfunction-associated-fatty liver disease (MAFLD): a prospective randomised controlled trial

MAFLD (Metabolic dysfunction- associated fatty liver disease) is one of the most common chronic liver disease affecting 32.4% of the global population. MAFLD is defined as a liver disorder caused by accumulation of excess fat (>5%) in liver cells also known as steatosis or fatty liver, which is not necessarily caused by significant alcohol consumption.MAFLD is closely related with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension, coronary artery disease, metabolic syndrome etc. MAFLD includes a spectrum of conditions ranging from simple hepatic steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can progress to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).While efforts have made to develop effective treatment for MAFLD but the need of pharmaceutical interventions still remains unmet. Currently standard of care only includes lifestyle modification such as healthy diet, regular physicial activity, weight loss, reduced free sugars etc. Pharmacological interventions are still under development and there is no specific medication that has been approved as a standard treatment. statins in addition to hypolipidemic effects,have other pleiotropic effects including anti thrombotic, antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties make statins potentially useful in preventing the progression of MAFLD to more severe forms like steatohepatitis, cirrhosis .Recent studies across the globe have found statins to be useful in causing reduction in liver fat , improvement in liver function tests indicating improvement in liver function.