Decrease in shear wave elastography values and associated risk factors in patients of NAFLD with Unani treatment: clinical case series

Introduction

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a global health concern, and leading cause of liver cirrhosis and carcinoma, with no approved treatment till date. In Unani medicine, the management of fat deposition in liver is done with mufatteḥ-i-sudad (de-obstruent) and muḥallil-i-waram (anti-inflammatory) drugs, to expel morbid matter and restore hepatic functions. This study was done to evaluate the efficacy of Unani drugs in NAFLD on specific biochemical and radiological parameters.

Material and methods

This case series was carried out on five patients of ultrasound-diagnosed NAFLD, between December 2024 to May 2025. Drugs recommended in classical Unani literature for the treatment of fat deposition in liver (R. emodi, D. costus, A. absinthium and Lac) were prescribed for 3 months. NAFLD was graded by shearwave elastography before and after the treatment. Safety and efficacy were assessed clinically and with biochemical investigations.

Results

There was a noticeable decrease in BMI, ALP, and SGPT. TAI values decreased in all patients although some patients showed better improvement than others. There was no significant change in haemogram and KFT, indicating the safety of the formulation. The drugs were well-tolerated and no adverse effects were reported.

Discussion

The observations of this study are highly encouraging as the test drugs treated the hepatic pathology, and also mitigated risk factors (obesity, hyperlipidemia), which are known to aggravate NAFLD progression. With further researches, Unani drugs used in this study may provide the much-needed holistic management of NAFLD and its associated comorbidities.