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. 2023 Sep 19;13(1):15461.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-42788-6.

Different effects of menopausal hormone therapy on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on the route of estrogen administration

Sung Eun Kim  1 , Ji-Song Min  1 , Saemi Lee  1 , Dong-Yun Lee  2 , DooSeok Choi  1
Affiliations

Different effects of menopausal hormone therapy on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on the route of estrogen administration

Sung Eun Kim et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

The effects of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were compared based on the route of estrogen administration. The study included 368 postmenopausal women who received MHT for 12 months. Patients were divided into transdermal (n = 75) and oral (n = 293) groups based on the estrogen route. Changes in the prevalence of NAFLD were compared between the two groups before and after 12 months of MHT. In addition, differences in the progression of NAFLD after MHT based on the dose of estrogen and type of progestogen were evaluated in the oral group. After MHT, the prevalence of NAFLD decreased from 24 to 17.3% in the transdermal group but increased from 25.3 to 29.4% in the oral group. Little or no change was found in clinical characteristics and laboratory tests in the transdermal group during MHT. However, serum levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased and triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased significantly in the oral group. Furthermore, changes in the prevalence of NAFLD were not significantly different based on the dose of estrogen or type of progestogen. Our findings indicate that transdermal estrogen can be beneficial in terms of NAFLD progression.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) before and after menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) based on the route of estrogen administration. P value based on chi-square test. NS, non-significant.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The proportion of progression (newly diagnosed or worsened severity) in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) after menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) based on route of estrogen administration. P value based on chi-square test.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The proportion of progression (newly diagnosed or worsened severity) in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) after menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) according to estrogen dose (A) and type of progestogen (B). P value based on chi-square test.
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