Closing
Does metformin improve liver & MASLD versus placebo?
Mostly studied in type 2 & unspecified diabetes.
Mechanistic model availableWhy does fat build up in the liver in type 2 diabetes?See where the mechanism fails, how this treatment's effect is predicted and validated against held-out trials, and the decisive experiments that remain. →
Where the evidence stands
A coin flip. So far, one result, not yet repeated.
NoUnsureYes
- Belief
- 0.50 (range 0.25–0.70)
- Trials for
- 1
- Trials against
- 0
- Inconclusive
- 1
Already under way
- Therapeutic Synergy of Probiotic Augmented Conventional Antidiabetic Pharmacotherapy in Gestational Diabetes MellitusNCT07645001 · recruiting · started 2026
- Efficacy of Metformin With Antidepressant Medication as Adjunct Therapy in Depression-obesity Ccomorbidity and Ssociation With NEGR1/RPL31P12 Variants Based on…NCT07654179 · recruiting · started 2026
- Study on the Effect of Metformin in Improving Cardiac Function After Implantation of Left Ventricular Assist DevicesNCT07666698 · not yet recruiting · started 2026
- Effects of Metformin Combined With Dapagliflozin on Serum IGF-1 Levels in Male Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated…NCT07778719 · not yet recruiting · started 2026
- Effects of Metformin on Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient in Patients With Cirrhosis and Portal Hypertension - A Randomized Placebo-controlled StudyNCT06687265 · recruiting · started 2025
The evidence so far
- Registered trials
- 92
- With posted results
- 22
- Published papers
- 5
Of 7 decided analyses: 1 favor metformin, 6 find no difference, 0 favor the comparator.
Papers
- Effect of vitamin E or metformin for treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children and adolescents: the TONIC randomized controlled trial.Trial report · 2011
- Drugs improving insulin resistance for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and/or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.Meta-analysis / systematic review · 2007
- Effect of metformin on nonalcoholic fatty liver based on meta-analysis and network pharmacology.Meta-analysis / systematic review · 2022
- Short- and long-term outcomes of metformin compared with insulin alone in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Meta-analysis / systematic review · 2017
- Effects of Oral Antidiabetic Drugs on Changes in the Liver-to-Spleen Ratio on Computed Tomography and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.Trial report · 2017
Trials
- A Randomised Placebo Controlled Trial of the Effectiveness of Early MEtformin in Addition to Usual Care in the Reduction of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Effects (EMERGE)NCT02980276 · 6 posted results
- A Randomized Trial of Metformin as Adjunct Therapy for Overweight Adolescents With Type 1 DiabetesNCT01881828
- Metformin Therapy for Overweight Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)--Insulin Clamp Ancillary Study for Assessment of Insulin ResistanceNCT02045290
- Adaptive Study for Efficacy and Safety of Metformin Glycinate for the Treatment of Patients With MS and DM2, Hospitalized With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Secondary to SARS-CoV-2. Randomized, Double-Blind, Phase IIIb.NCT04626089
- Effectiveness of the Combination Liraglutide and Metformin on Weight Loss, Metabolic - Endocrine Parameters and Pregnancy Rate in Women With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Obesity and InfertilityNCT05952882
- Insulin Resistance and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in Older Chinese Adults With Pre-Diabetes and Diabetes: Cognitive Effects of Lifestyle Intervention and Metformin Treatment in a Randomized Controlled TrialNCT02409238
- Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate The Effect of Metformin-GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Versus Oral Contraceptive (OC) Therapy on Reproductive Disorders and Cardiovascular Risks in Overweight Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) PatientsNCT03151005 · 1 posted result
- Research of Exenatide for Management of Reproductive and Metabolic Dysfunction in Overweight/Obese PCOS Patients With Impaired Glucose RegulationNCT03352869