Benefits of GLP-1s Transcend Simple Weight Loss for Individuals With Overweight, Obesity, and Comorbidities
Losing even 5% of body weight can improve comorbid conditions and other health complications for individuals with overweight and obesity.
Although anyone wishing to improve their health through weight loss can benefit from a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medication, individuals with overweight or obesity who have additional complications or comorbid conditions stand to derive the most benefits from GLP-1s or glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)/GLP-1 dual agonists, according to Robert Kushner, MD, MS.
Kushner is a professor of medicine and medicine education at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. He spoke with Drug Topics ahead of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology Congress on CVD Prevention, held August 2 through August 4 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
READ MORE: Head to Head Comparison of GLP-1 RAs for Weight Loss Tips Scales in Tirzepatide’s Favor
“We think about [these drugs] as a candidate for almost any individual,” he added. But for someone with comorbidities—a list that includes sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, and other cardiovascular risks—losing even 5% of body weight can lead to improved blood pressure and blood glucose levels. “That’s when these incretin-based medications come to mind as preferable agents over the earlier approved, centrally acting medications,” Kushner said.
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