Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40845474›Full record

ArticleClinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Long-term pioglitazone use in MASLD patients: insights from a multicentric preliminary study.

Isabel Veloso Alves Pereira, Ana Beatriz Souza de Oliveira, Patricia Momoyo Yoshimura Zitelli, Lais Arrivabene Barbieri, Ana Carolina Cardoso, Mísia Joyner de Sousa Dias Monteiro, Juliana Souza de Oliveira, José Tadeu Stefano, Renato Altikes, Ana Luiza Gomes Reis and 6 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil). The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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  5. Targeting mTOR with vistusertib attenuates metabolic steatohepatitis and prevents HCC development.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2026
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Isabel Veloso Alves PereiraDivisão de Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Hospital das Clínicas HCFMUSP (LIM-07), Departamento de Gastroenterologia e Nutrologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: isabelveloso@gmail.com.
Ana Beatriz Souza de OliveiraDivisão de Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Hospital das Clínicas HCFMUSP (LIM-07), Departamento de Gastroenterologia e Nutrologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Patricia Momoyo Yoshimura ZitelliDivisão de Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Hospital das Clínicas HCFMUSP (LIM-07), Departamento de Gastroenterologia e Nutrologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Lais Arrivabene BarbieriHospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Ana Carolina CardosoHospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Mísia Joyner de Sousa Dias MonteiroUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Juliana Souza de OliveiraDivisão de Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Hospital das Clínicas HCFMUSP (LIM-07), Departamento de Gastroenterologia e Nutrologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
José Tadeu StefanoDivisão de Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Hospital das Clínicas HCFMUSP (LIM-07), Departamento de Gastroenterologia e Nutrologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Renato AltikesDivisão de Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Hospital das Clínicas HCFMUSP (LIM-07), Departamento de Gastroenterologia e Nutrologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Ana Luiza Gomes ReisDivisão de Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Hospital das Clínicas HCFMUSP (LIM-07), Departamento de Gastroenterologia e Nutrologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Cláudio de Figueiredo MendesHospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Claudia CoutoUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Nathalie C LeiteHospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Cristiane A Villela-NogueiraHospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Claudia P OliveiraDivisão de Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Hospital das Clínicas HCFMUSP (LIM-07), Departamento de Gastroenterologia e Nutrologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Mário G PessoaDivisão de Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Hospital das Clínicas HCFMUSP (LIM-07), Departamento de Gastroenterologia e Nutrologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsThis multi-center retrospective study evaluated the long-term effects of pioglitazone therapy on liver stiffness, hepatic steatosis, and other non-invasive biomarkers in patients with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD).

methodsA total of 65 patients from three Brazilian public hospitals treated with pioglitazone at doses of 30‒45 mg/day up to 10-years were retrospectively analyzed. Hepatic parameters, including Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE), Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP), and FibroScan-AST score, were evaluated before and after treatment. Patients were stratified into two groups based on treatment duration: 1‒3 years and 4‒10 years.

resultsSignificant reductions in Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) levels were observed in both treatment groups, indicating improvement in liver enzyme profiles. A significant decrease in CAP levels was observed only in the 4‒10 year group (p = 0.002), suggesting a reduction in liver steatosis. Improvement in FAST™ scores was observed in both groups (1‒3 years, p = 0.042; 4‒10 years, p = 0.012). In logistic regression analysis, dyslipidemia was associated with a non-significant trend toward higher odds of liver stiffness reduction (adjusted OR = 1.92, 95 % CI 0.58‒6.45, p = 0.284).

conclusionsThese findings highlight both the metabolic and hepatic benefits of long-term pioglitazone therapy. They reinforce its potential as a cost-effective and accessible treatment option for MASLD, particularly in resource-limited settings where newer therapeutic alternatives are unavailable.

Indexed as

Fatty LiverHypoglycemic AgentsPioglitazoneThiazolidinedionesAdultAgedAlanine TransaminaseAspartate AminotransferasesBiomarkersElasticity Imaging TechniquesFemalegamma-GlutamyltransferaseHumansLiverMaleMiddle AgedAlanine TransaminaseAspartate AminotransferasesBiomarkersgamma-GlutamyltransferaseHypoglycemic AgentsPioglitazoneThiazolidinedionesMASHMASLDPioglitazone

Identifiers

PMID40845474
PMCPMC12834065

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.