Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Topiramate as an Antiobesity Drug

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects approximately one out of every 4 people and is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. There are some risks factor such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome for the fatty liver. NAFLD can be presented as simple steatosis or steatohepatitis and can progress to liver cirrhosis. There is an important role of oxidative stress in etiopathogenesis of NAFLD so it is possible that antioxidant agents may have a positive effect on NAFLD. Although there is currently no approved pharmacological agent for the treatment of NAFLD, treatment guidelines for this desease include the use of vitamin E for its antioxidant activity. There are yet many advances to be made in the pharmacotherapy of NAFLD. Topiramate (TPM) is primarily used for epilepsy but it is also known for its weight loss, neuroprotective and antioxidant effects and many studies regarding these effects are available in the literature. In this sense, considering that TPM has both weight loss and antioxidant effects, it may be an option for the treatment of NAFLD. In this review, we aimed to focus on NAFLD and the properties and potential effects of TPM.