The Effect of Exenatide on Platelets Ratio Index and Fibrosis-4 Index in Obese Patients With Diabetes Mellitus.

Abstract

Many studies have shown a close relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are particularly preferred as antidiabetic medications for obese patients with type 2 diabetes because they not only help with glycemic control but also promote weight loss by slowing gastric emptying. Fatty liver disease, a significant complication of obesity, can progress to hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis in later stages. Platelets ratio index (APRI), fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4), indices are two of the most studied indirect markers of hepatic fibrosis. Our study aimed to investigate the effect of exenatide, a GLP-1 agonist, on the APRI and FIB-4 indices in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We included obese patients with type 2 diabetes treated with exenatide at the endocrinology and metabolism outpatient clinics of Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital between January 2015 and May 2018. We calculated the APRI and FIB-4 indexes retrospectively using data on aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, platelet counts, and ages. The study included 170 patients, with an average age of 48.27 ± 11 years. We compared the APRI and FIB-4 indices at the third and sixth months after the onset of exenatide and before the treatment. While there was no significant change in the FIB-4 index with treatment, the APRI index showed a significant decrease. In conclusion, our study observed a significant decrease in the APRI index with exenatide treatment, while the FIB-4 index remained unchanged. More research is needed on liver fibrosis indices in the obese population.