Liraglutide after diet intervention induces weight loss in knee OA patients

Treatment with liraglutide after an 8-week prerandom assignment diet results in significant weight loss at >52 weeks among patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and overweight/obesity, but fails to reduce knee pain relative to placebo, results of a study have shown.

This randomized controlled trial enrolled patients between the age of 18 and 74 years with KOA and a body mass index ≥27 kg/m². Participants underwent a prerandom assignment diet intervention (week –8 to 0). At week 0, patients who lost >5 percent of their body weight were randomized to receive either liraglutide 3 mg/day or placebo for 52 weeks.

Changes in body weight and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) pain subscale from week 0 to 52 were the primary outcomes.

Of the 168 participants enrolled, 156 were randomized to receive liraglutide or placebo. Patients had a significant reduction in both body weight and KOOS pain during the prerandom assignment dietary intervention period (week –8 to 0).

A significant difference was noted in body weight from week 0 to 52 between the liraglutide and placebo groups (mean changes, –2.8 and 1.2 kg, respectively; group difference, 3.9 kg, 95 percent confidence interval, –6.9 to –1.0; p=0.008). However, no between-group difference was observed in KOOS pain (mean changes, 0.4 and –0.6 points, respectively; group difference, 0.9 points, 95 percent CI, –3.9 to 5.7; p=0.71).

In addition, treatment-emergent adverse events related to the gastrointestinal system occurred in 50.2 percent of patients in the liraglutide group and in 39.2 percent of those in the placebo group.

“Weight loss is critical for preventing and managing obesity-related diseases,” the authors said. “There is a notable lack of valid and reliable means to manage patients with overweight/obesity and KOA.”