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. 2017 Sep 24;65(8):1102–1115. doi: 10.1136/jim-2017-000524

Table 3.

Overview of intervention studies which have investigated the effect of isocaloric feeding on liver fat content

Ref Design Subjects Intervention Duration Change in body mass Change in liver fat
157 R/P 64 M+F
42.2±11.7 years
23–35 kg/m2a 		StdD+HFCS or Suc at 8%, 18%, or 30% TE 10 weeks ↑ 1%b* NSD at follow-up or between groups
114 R/P 32 M
18-50 yearsa
25.9–32.2 kg/m2c 		Glu (25% TE)
Fru (25% TE)		 2 weeks NSD NSD at follow-up or between groups
158 R/P 21 M+F
11–18 yearsa
BMI ≥85th percentile relative to age		 Glu (99 g/day)
Fru (99 g/day)		 4 weeks NSD NSD at follow-up or between groups
159 C 8 M
42±3 years
24.4±1.6 kg/m2 		High-Fru (25% TE)
Complex CHO (Fru, 5% TE)		 9 days NSD High-Fru: 1.02%d (0.53%–3.07%)c
Complex CHO: 0.70%d(0.39%–2.37%)c#
Liver fat only assessed at the end of each dietary intervention
161 R/P 61 M+F
30–65 yearsa
25–40 kg/m2a 		n-6 PUFA enriched (15% TE) SFA enriched (15% TE) 10 weeks NSD n-6 PUFA:↓ 0.9%
SFA:↑ 0.3%#
152 R/P 13 M+F
35±2.9 years
33±1.3 kg/m2a
7 subjects completed both diet protocols		 Con (fat 35% TE)
Low-fat (20% TE)
High-fat (55% TE)		 4 weeks NSD Low-fat:↓ 13.9±10.2% versus Con*
High-fat: NSD versus Con
NSD between low-fat and high-fat
Data not listed separately for subjects who completed both diet protocols.
160 R/P 35 M+F
50-70 yearsa
25–30 kg/m2a 		High-fat/high-SFA (43% and 25% TE)
Low-fat/low-SFA (23% and 7% TE)		 4 weeks NSD High-SFA: NSD
Low-SFA: ↓ 19.8%±6%*
154 R/P 20 M
50–60 yearsa
>27 kg/m2a 		Low-fat (20%TE)
Low-fat (20% TE)/high-fat (55% TE); participants switched from low-fat to high-fat after 3 weeks		 6 weeks NSD Low-fat:↓ 13%
High-fat: ↑ 17%#
Measures of liver fat made at 3 and 6 weeks
155 R/C 10 F
43±5 yearse
33±4 kg/m2e 		Low-fat (16%TE)
High-fat (56% TE)		 2 weeks NSD Low-fat: ↓ 20%±9%*
High-fat: ↑ 35%±21%*#
153 R/C 12 M+F NAFLD
55±14 years
32±4.2 kg/m2 		Med diet (40% TE fat, MUFA, and n-3 PUFA enriched)
Low-fat high-CHO (fat 30% TE, CHO 50% TE) diet		 6 weeks NSD Med diet: ↓ 39%±4%*
Low-fat high-CHO: ↓ 7%±2%*#
156 R/P 36 M+F T2DM
35-70 yearsa
25–35 kg/m2a 		High-CHO (52% TE)
High-CHO+Ex
High-MUFA (28% TE)
High-MUFA+Ex		 8 weeks NSD High-CHO: NSD
High-CHO+Ex: NSD
MUFA:↓ 29%*
MUFA+Ex: ↓ 25%*
MUFA gps significantly different to CHO groups.
NSD between MUFA groups

Subject data presented as mean±SEM unless otherwise stated.. 

a

Inclusion criteria or estimated range within which all participants are included.

b

Pooled data.

c

Range.

d

Median.

e

SD.

*Significant effect of intervention (p< 0.05) according to the manuscript.

#

Significant difference between groups (p< 0.05) according to the manuscript.

BMI, body mass index; C, crossover; CHO, carbohydrate; Con, control; Ex, exercise; F, Female, T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus; Fru, fructose; Glu, glucose; HFCS, high-fructose corn syrup; M, male; MUFA, monounsaturated fatty acids; NSD, no significant difference; P, parallel groups; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids; R, randomised; Ref, reference; SFA, saturated fatty acids; StdD, standardised diet; TE, total energy.