Hep_Ex_v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Changes in hepatic function following an eight-week supervised exercise training programme in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
IRAS ID
172032
Contact name
James Hobkirk
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Hull
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 27 days
Research summary
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ranges from typically benign steatosis (fat accumulation in the liver), to more severe non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (fat accumulation accompanied by inflammation of the liver cells), through to fibrosis and cirrhosis (Dowman, Tomlinson and Newsome, 2011). The development of NASH in a subset of patients is of clinical importance and increases the risk of fibrotic progression, morbidity and mortality (Argo, Northup, Al-Osaimi and Caldwell, 2009; Ekstedt et al., 2006). The emergence of NAFLD has paralleled the existing obesity epidemic (Dietrich & Hellerbrand, 2014), and is similarly associated with hypertension, dyslipidaemia and the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Alwis and Day, 2008; Armstrong, Adams, Canbay and Syn, 2014). As with obesity, lifestyle modification, including: dietary, physical activity and/or exercise interventions, with the aim of promoting modest weight-loss, forms the primary treatment of NAFLD (Thoma, Day & Trenell, 2012). However, maintaining weight reduction long-term can be challenging for many individuals (Franz et al., 2007). Exercise interventions with an emphasis on improving metabolic health (including endpoints such as lowering cholesterol and risk of type 2 diabetes), opposed to simply weight-loss, may therefore offer an alternative long-term solution to the management of NAFLD, including attenuating fibrotic progression. However, at present, evidence regarding the effectiveness of regular exercise within individuals living with NAFLD is limited. The purpose of the current study is to therefore investigate the efficacy of an eight-week supervised exercise training programme on changes in liver fibrosis and metabolic health in people living with NAFLD.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/WM/0467
Date of REC Opinion
31 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion