App-tastic hope: smartphone tool aims to shrink fatty livers
NCT ID NCT05180760
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a smartphone app can help Chinese adults with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) lose weight over 12 months. Weight loss is currently the only proven way to reverse liver fat and prevent serious complications. The trial will enroll 260 participants, with half using the app and half receiving standard care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- smartphone app
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, scalable tool to help people with fatty liver disease lose weight and improve liver health.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study, so results may not apply broadly. The app may not lead to meaningful weight loss, and long-term benefits are unknown.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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260 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2023
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * known NAFLD * able to read and understand Chinese * owns a compatible smartphone * without major cognitive impairment. Exclusion Criteria: * newly initiated on sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists or thiazolidinediones or had recent dose adjustments (within 3 months) * patients with cirrhosis * patients who are pregnant * patients on special diet or with special dietary requirement (e.g. vegan, gluten free) * patients with heavy alcohol use (≥20 grams/ day for women or ≥30 grams/ day for men) * history of HCC or LT
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
The University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong, 0000, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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