A new study suggests that combining two already-approved medications may help reverse fatty liver disease, a condition that affects a large share of the global population and can lead to serious liver and heart complications.
Researchers found that the drugs pemafibrate (used to lower blood fats) and telmisartan (a blood pressure medication) significantly reduced fat buildup in the liver in animal studies. Even more interestingly, using both drugs together at lower doses worked as well as using higher doses of either drug alone, suggesting a stronger combined effect.
The study highlights that fatty liver disease—now officially called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)—is closely linked with obesity, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Because many experimental treatments have failed in clinical trials, scientists are increasingly looking at “drug repurposing,” which means using existing medicines for new conditions.
According to the researchers, the two drugs appear to work through different biological pathways:
One helps break down fats in the liver
The other reduces fat production and improves metabolic balance
Together, they not only reduced liver fat but also showed potential benefits for cardiovascular health, such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.
The findings are still in the early stage because they were mainly observed in animal models. Scientists emphasize that human clinical trials are needed before the treatment can be confirmed as safe and effective for patients.
In short, the study offers promising evidence that a combination of two widely used heart-related drugs could one day become a treatment option for fatty liver disease, a condition that currently has very limited medication choices.