Vitamin E has a beneficial effect on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract Objectives Vitamin E is often used in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); however, the magnitude of treatment response associated with vitamin E in improving liver function and histology in NAFLD/NASH has not, to our knowledge, been quantified systematically. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using vitamin E in the treatment of NAFLD/NASH. Methods PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane Library Full Text Database, and Japan Medical-Literature Database (Igaku Chuo Zasshi) were searched until March 2014, and five RCTs were identified for meta-analysis. Results According to a random effect model analysis of the five studies, vitamin E significantly reduced aspartate transaminase (AST) by −19.43 U/L, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) by −28.91 U/L, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) by −10.39 U/L, steatosis by −0.54 U/L, inflammation by −0.20 U/L, and hepatocellular ballooning by −0.34 U/L compared with the control group. Vitamin E treatment with NASH adult patients showed obvious reductions in not only AST of −13.91 U/L, ALT by −22.44 U/L, steatosis of −0.67 U/L, inflammation of −0.20 U/L, but also fibrosis of −0.30 U/L compared to the control treatment. Conclusions Vitamin E significantly improved liver function and histologic changes in patients with NAFLD/NASH.