HealthDay News – Liraglutide may be an effective supplement to diet and exercise for weight loss in overweight and obese patients, according to researchers.
“Obesity is commonly associated with impaired insulin sensitivity and pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction, both of which are implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus,” wrote John Wilding, DM, and colleagues from the University of Liverpool. Their findings were presented at annual European Congress on Obesity in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Over 56 weeks, researchers examined the efficacy and safety of 3.0 mg liraglutide as a weight-loss aid with diet and exercise. A total of 3,731 overweight and obese patients (mean age, 45.1 years) without type 2 diabetes were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to once-daily subcutaneous liraglutide or placebo plus diet and exercise.
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At week 56, more weight loss was observed in patients assigned liraglutide 3.0 mg (˗8.0%; n=2432) than with placebo (˗2.6%; n=1220) (estimated treatment difference, 5.4%; P<0.0001). Applied to individuals both with and without prediabetes, glucose-lowering was most prominent in individuals with prediabetes (P<0.0001).
“Liraglutide 3.0 mg, as adjunct to diet and exercise, led to weight loss and improvements in insulin secretion and action,” concluded the researchers. “All of which likely explain the observed improvements in fasting and post-load glycemia in overweight and obese individuals with and without prediabetes.”
- Wilding J et al. Liraglutide 3.0 Mg Improves Insulin Secretion and Action in Overweight and Obese Adults without Diabetes: Results from Scale Obesity and Prediabetes, a Randomized, Double-Blind and Placebo-Controlled 56-Week Trial. Presented at: European Congress on Obesity; Sofia, Bulgaria.
Disclosures
One author disclosed financial ties to Novo Nordisk, which funded the study and manufactures liraglutide.
