Liraglutide is an effective drug for the treatment of obesity also in real life
- PDF / 496,914 Bytes
- 2 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 95 Downloads / 181 Views
COMMENT
Liraglutide is an effective drug for the treatment of obesity also in real life E. Piantanida1 · D. Gallo1 · M. L. Tanda1 Received: 16 June 2020 / Accepted: 25 June 2020 © Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE) 2020
The worldwide prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled since 1975, affecting people of all age groups and all walks of life. Overall, in 2016, overweight/obese individuals represented about 39% and 13% of the adult population, respectively. The dramatic epidemiological data of obesity and the relevant impact of the numerous related comorbidities (such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, type-2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, and certain forms of cancer, just to mention the most important ones), that decrease quality of life and life expectancy, make obesity a major public health problem in virtually every country across the world. Management of obesity remains an extremely difficult challenge, and lifestyle changes remain the first-line approach in most cases. Bariatric surgery, such as sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass, achieves substantial and durable weight loss, but is reserved for patients with severe and/or complicated obesity, i.e. body mass index (BMI) > 40 kg/m2 or ≥ 35 kg/m2 and at least one weightrelated comorbidity and should be preceded by an accurate assessment of the risk–benefit ratio. However, patients may not be suitable candidates for surgery, may be unable to obtain a clinically fit weight loss, or to maintain it with a comprehensive lifestyle modification program alone. For these reasons, over the years, a number of weight-reducing drugs have been developed and made available by the pharmaceutical companies, with mixed results. In 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved liraglutide, a glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist previously marketed up to a dose of 1.8 mg ( Victoza®) for the management of type-2 diabetes in association with diet and exercise, in the new 3-mg subcutaneous injection formulation (Saxenda®) for adult patients with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/ * E. Piantanida [email protected] 1
Department of Medicine and Surgery, Endocrine Unit, University of Insubria, ASST dei Sette Laghi, Ospedale di Circolo, Viale Borri, 57, Varese, Italy
m2) or overweight (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2) and at least one among excess weight-related comorbidities. The next year, liraglutide was approved also in Italy, with the same indications. In the present issue of the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, Ferrari and coworkers from the Obesity and Lipodistrophy Center of the University of Pisa reported the results of a large retrospective, single-center study, which included 93 consecutive non-diabetic patients with obesity or overweight, who were treated with liraglutide up to a maximal daily dose of 3 mg (60/93), 2.4 mg (5/93) or 1.8 mg (7/93) [1]. Almost half of the patients (48%) had severe (grade III) obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2), 32% had grade II obesity, while only 3% were overweight. Efficacy and tolerability
Data Loading...
