Liraglutide helps shed excess pounds without serious consequences

Daily treatment with liraglutide in individuals with obesity yields significant weight loss without deleterious events, as shown in a study from South Korea.

The study included a total of 769 individuals, with mean body mass index (BMI) of 32.2 kg/m² and mean body weight of 87.5 kg at baseline. All participants used liraglutide 3 mg in combination with diet and exercise in a real-world setting.

Treatment efficacy was assessed based on changes in BMI and body weight at 2 months (n=672), 4 months (n=427), and 6 months (n=219) after treatment initiation.

Body weight and BMI dropped significantly over the follow-up. The reductions were −2.94 kg and −1.08 kg/m² at 2 months, −4.23 kg and −1.55 kg/m² at 4 months, and −5.14 kg and −1.89 kg/m² at 6 months (p<0.001 for all).

In the 6-month group, about half of the participants (52.5 percent) lost ≥5 percent of body weight while 18.3 percent lost ≥10 percent.

After 6 months, weight loss translated to meaningful improvements in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (–3.90 and –1.93 mm Hg, respectively). Furthermore, HbA1c and fasting glucose levels declined by 1.14 percent and 27.8 mg/dl, respectively, among those with diabetes mellitus.

Adverse effects occurred in 27.6 percent of the entire population. The most common events were nausea (20.8 percent), vomiting (5.2 percent), diarrhoea (2.5 percent), and skin rash (3.6 percent).

Treatment was discontinued in 4.4 percent of the patients due to lack of effect, in 4.3 percent due to adverse events, and in 3.1 percent due to high cost of the drug.