Liraglutide may be the jab to end battle of bulge

A new study has revealed that liraglutide may help overweight and obese adults lose weight safely and effectively.

Obesity guidelines recommend an initial weight loss goal of 5 to 10% of start weight to improve health and the study found that patients who received liraglutide 3.0 mg, combined with fewer calories and more physical activity, were more than twice as likely to achieve at least that level of weight loss, compared to patients on placebo who made similar lifestyle changes.

Patients who achieved that weight loss showed improvements on a number of health markers, compared to those who lost less, and the patients on liraglutide showed greater improvement on measures of blood sugar control and blood pressure.

Lead author Patrick M. O'Neil of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston said that the US Food and Drug Administration recently approved liraglutide 3.0 mg for the treatment of obesity as an adjunct to diet and exercise.

O'Neil added that in the US, 3.0 mg of liraglutide is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adults who are overweight or obese and have at least one weight-related comorbidity.

O'Neil added that many people with obesity are unaware of its severity and its implications for their health. Losing 5 percent to 10 percent of their weight can give them significant health benefits, including improvements in blood glucose levels, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and obstructive sleep apnea.

He concluded that the nature of this disease is complex and maintaining weight loss can be challenging. Multiple treatment options are needed to help people with obesity lose weight, keep it off, and improve their health.

The results will be presented Saturday, March 7, at ENDO 2015, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego.