We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials（RCTs） to determine the effectiveness and safety of incretin-based therapies（IBTs） for the treatment of type 2 diabetes（T2DM） with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease（NAFLD）. Electronic databases such as the Cochrane library, EMbase, Pub Med, and three Chinese databases were searched for RCTs that compared IBTs with other treatments or placebo for T2 DM with NAFLD. Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias, extracted, and analyzed the data. A meta-analysis was performed using Revman 5.2. Publication bias was evaluated. Seven RCTs involving 532 patients were ultimately included. The results of meta-analysis（random-effects model） revealed that IBTs had a significant reduction in serum ALT（WMD –12.30, 95% CI –17.53~–7.06） and BMI（WMD –2.64, 95% CI –4.35~–0.94）. However, there was no significant difference in other outcomes including Hb A1 c, AST, TC, TG and HOMA-RA. IBTs were well tolerated by patients but the evidence was limited. The significant decrease in hepatic biochemical markers following treatment with IBTs, as well as improvements in BMI, suggested that IBTs may be an effective option for T2 DM with NAFLD.
