Pharmacologic Approaches to Weight Management: Recent Gains and Shortfalls in Combating Obesity

• Published in: Current atherosclerosis reports Vol. 18; no. 7; p. 36
• Main Authors: Saunders, Katherine H., Kumar, Rekha B., Igel, Leon I., Aronne, Louis J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-07-2016
• Subjects: Angiology; Anti-Obesity Agents - therapeutic use; Body Weight; Cardiology; Clinical Trials and Their Interpretations (J. Kizer; Comorbidity; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - etiology; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Obesity - complications; Obesity - drug therapy; Obesity - epidemiology; Section Editor; Topical Collection on Clinical Trials and Their Interpretations; Weight Loss - drug effects; Type 2 diabetes; Pharmacotherapy; Clinical trials; Obesity; Weight management; Weight loss
• ISSN: 1523-3804; 1534-6242
• DOI: 10.1007/s11883-016-0589-y

Obesity is a growing epidemic in the USA with over one third of adults presently classified as obese. Obesity-related comorbidities include many leading causes of preventable death such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Modest weight loss of 5–10 % of body weight is sufficient to produce clinically relevant improvements in cardiovascular disease risk factors among patients with overweight and obesity. Until recently, there were limited pharmacologic options approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat obesity. Phentermine/topiramate ER and lorcaserin were approved in 2012, and naltrexone SR/bupropion SR and liraglutide 3.0 mg were approved in 2014. This article reviews recent literature in the field of Obesity Medicine and highlights important findings from clinical trials. Future directions in the pharmacologic management of obesity are presented along with new diabetes medications that promote weight loss and reduce cardiovascular mortality.