Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) combined with lifestyle changes leads to significant weight loss and improves liver health in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and obesity over 72 weeks.

"ESG should be used as part of second-line treatment, with or without other complementary weight loss therapies, especially in patients who do not respond to lifestyle modification," the authors wrote.

This study, led by Javier Abad, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain, was published online in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Study outcomes may have been influenced by the small number of patients with significant fibrosis. Moreover, the unexpected high adherence to lifestyle changes in the SE group may have affected the statistical power of the results.

This study was funded by a grant from the Carlos III Health Institute and Ministry of Science and Innovation, Government of Spain. Some authors reported receiving grants and research support, consultancy and lecture fees, and/or serving as speakers, consultants, and advisory board members of various pharmaceutical companies. One author reported serving as a proctor for Apollo Endosurgery.