Diabetes Drug Shown to Be Helpful with Weight Loss

The diabetes drug Liraglutide may help obese patients lose weight even if they are not diagnosed diabetics. The operative word here is "help." Obese patients would not rely solely on diabetic medication to help them lose weight; they must also adjust their lifestyles. 

Based on new research, Liraglutide may also help overweight patients to lose some of those unwanted pounds, in addition to the already known benefits to those diagnosed with diabetes.  During the recently released study, the drug helped overweight patients not only lose weight, but Liraglutide had the added benefit of lowering all of the study participants' blood pressure.

The study, published online in Lancet, was conducted over a 20-week period and included 564 volunteers from around Europe. The study participants ranged in age from 18 to 65 and had a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 40. They were divided into several different groups. Some groups were given four varying dosages of Liraglutide, and others were given either a placebo or Orlistat, the weight-loss drug.  The study participants also reduced their calorie intake by 500 from their norm and increased their physical activity. 

According to Arne Astrup, who led the study and is head of the department of Human Nutrition at the University of  Copenhagen in Denmark, "The reason why we think this drug is so intriguing is that it mimics a gut hormone called GLP-1 which is released in the small intestine after eating.” He added, “It tells the body to produce more insulin and the brain to stop eating. It is a naturally occurring satiety hormone. The problem is that it is eliminated from the blood stream within minutes. The company [Novo Nordisk] has added a molecule to make it more resistant to elimination, so it lasts for a full day."

Based on the study results, those patients taking Liraglutide lost more weight than those on the placebo. Those taking the highest dosage of Liraglutide lost 15 pounds over 20 weeks. Participants that took the highest two dosages of Liraglutide lost at least five percent of their body weight. Those on the placebo lost six pounds and the participants that took the weight loss drug Orlistat lost nine pounds. There were no serious side effects noticed during the study but some nausea and vomiting were reported and participants did not seem to mind administering the injection of the diabetic medication.

While more research is needed regarding the benefits and side effects of administering a diabetic medication to patients that have not been diagnosed with the disease, the new study proves promising in the search for a better way to cure obesity. However, obesity is not cured with medication alone. Obesity requires a lifestyle change in order to keep weight off and improve a person’s health.