Weight loss may be easier with a new class of diabetes drugs, Danish research suggests. According to HealthDay News, scientists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark found that drugs like exenatide can help the obese lose weight as a result of side effects such as lowered cholesterol.
“If you use this treatment for 20 weeks, you have a positive effect on body weight,” said lead researcher Tina Vilsboll. “The hope is that we have a new class of treatment for obesity, and not just for type 2 diabetes.”
Exenatide and other drugs like it are referred to as “glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists,” or GLP-1. They work to regulate blood sugar, making them beneficial for diabetes patients, but they also help to suppress appetite and promote physical energy.
To test these effects further, Vilsboll and her team performed a meta-analysis of 25 studies that involved more than 6,000 patients. They found that people taking GLP-1R agonists for at least 20 weeks lost more weight than people who did not take the drug.
The side effects were the same for both diabetics and non-diabetics. Each group taking the medication lost weight—some as much as 20 pounds.
“[The study] provides convincing evidence that GLP-1R Agonists, when given to obese patients with or without diabetes, result in clinically relevant beneficial effects on body weight,” the study authors said. “Additional beneficial effects on blood pressure and total cholesterol might also be achieved.”
Vilsboll stressed that exenatide is not a “wonder drug” that works for everyone, but helps promote positive life changes that aid in weight loss. In fact, the drug should never be used as a standalone treatment for weight loss, she said.
