Clinical Edge

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Efficacy of Liraglutide for Weight Loss

Can it help patients with T2 diabetes?

Overweight and obese patients with Type 2 diabetes lost more weight on liraglutide (3.0 mg and 1.8 mg) compared with placebo in a 56-week trial of 846 individuals randomized to receive liraglutide 3.0 mg (n=423), liraglutide 1.8 mg (n=211), or placebo (n=212). As an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, researchers found:

• Weight loss was 6% with liraglutide (3.0 mg); 4.7% with liraglutide (1.8 mg); and 2% with placebo.

• Weight loss of 5% or greater occurred in 54% with liraglutide (3.0 mg) and 40% with liraglutide (1.8 mg) vs. 21% with placebo.

• Weight loss >10% occurred in 25% with liraglutide (3.0 mg) and nearly 16% with liraglutide (1.8 mg) vs. 6.7% with placebo.

Citation: Davies MJ, Bergenstal R, Bode B, et al. Efficacy of liraglutide for weight loss among patients with Type 2 diabetes. JAMA 2015;314(7):687-699. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.9676.

Commentary: Obesity is a major contributor to insulin resisitance in patients with diabetes, and weight reduction is an important goal of treatment for overweight and obese patients with diabetes. Many anti-glycemic medications, including the sulfonylureas and insulin, lead to weight gain. This study reliably shows that liraglutide, consistant with the GLP-1 class, leads to substantial weight loss in overweight patients with diabetes, a signficant advantage for this group of patients. —Neil Skolnik, MD