Long-Term Effectiveness of Liraglutide for Weight Management and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2019-12, Vol.17 (1), p.207
• Main Authors: Mirabelli, Maria, Chiefari, Eusebio, Caroleo, Patrizia, Arcidiacono, Biagio, Corigliano, Domenica Maria, Giuliano, Stefania, Brunetti, Francesco Saverio, Tanyolaç, Sinan, Foti, Daniela Patrizia, Puccio, Luigi, Brunetti, Antonio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antidiabetics; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Blood pressure; Body mass; Body mass index; Body size; Body weight; Body Weight - drug effects; Body weight loss; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Clinical medicine; Correlation analysis; Data collection; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - drug therapy; Drug dosages; Endocrinology; Female; Gender; Generalized linear models; GLP-1 receptor agonists; Glucagon; Glucagon-like peptide 1; Glucose; Glycated Hemoglobin A - drug effects; Hemoglobin; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Insulin; Lipids; Liraglutide - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial infarction; Obesity; Overweight; Patients; Retrospective Studies; Risk factors; Weight control; Weight loss
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17010207

: Liraglutide is the first glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) based on the human GLP-1 sequence, with potential weight loss benefits, approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) mellitus. Herein, we aimed to assess the 5-year effectiveness of Liraglutide in the management of weight and glycometabolic control in a Southern Italian cohort of overweight/obese T2D patients, who were naïve to GLP-1 RAs. : Forty overweight or obese patients treated with Liraglutide at doses up to 1.8 mg/day, in combination with one or more oral antidiabetic agents, were retrospectively assessed at baseline, during, and after 60 months of continuous therapy. : After 5 years of Liraglutide treatment, body weight decreased from 92.1 ± 20.5 kg to 87.3 ± 20.0 Kg ( < 0.001), with a mean reduction of 5.0 ± 7.0 Kg and a body mass index (BMI) decrement of -2.0 ± 3.1 Kg/m . On Spearman's univariate analysis, change in body weight was correlated with female gender and baseline BMI. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) decreased from 7.9 ± 0.9% at baseline to 7.0 ± 0.7% at the end of the study period ( < 0.001), followed by a significant reduction in fasting plasma glucose. No significant differences emerged in other biochemical parameters, despite a trend toward improvement in lipid profile. Notwithstanding encouraging effects on several markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD), increments in the 5- and 10-year risk for the first atherosclerotic cardiovascular event were documented, as four incident cases of myocardial infarction. : Prolonging treatment with Liraglutide can lead to durable benefits in relation to weight and glycemic control, with a greater impact on women. These results extend and corroborate previous observations, suggesting that gender per se may modulate the response to Liraglutide. Despite favorable effects on some established CVD risks factors, the long-term role of Liraglutide in primary prevention of CVD in patients with T2D remains controversial.