Walking slows progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese people

Walking on a treadmill for one hour a day may slow the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese people with prediabetes by jump-starting their metabolism and slowing the oxidative damage wrought by the condition, say researchers at the Cleveland Clinic. A study of 15 obese people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease revealed that the daily walks not only increase insulin sensitivity, but improve the liver's polyunsaturated lipid index (PUI), which is thought to be a marker of liver health.

The improvements are linked to an increase in the hormone adiponectin, said Jacob M. Haus, PhD, research fellow in the Department of Pathobiology at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute. Adiponectin influences the body's response to insulin and is associated with a reduced risk of heart attack because of its anti-inflammatory properties. But obese people often have low levels of adiponectin. Haus will discuss the team's findings at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting (EB 2011), being held April 9-13, 2011 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.