Weight Management in Type 2 Diabetes: Current and Emerging Approaches to Treatment

• Published in: Diabetes care Vol. 38; no. 6; pp. 1161 - 1172
• Main Authors: Van Gaal, Luc, Scheen, André
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Diabetes Association 01.06.2015
• Subjects: Anti-Obesity Agents - therapeutic use; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Cardiovascular disease; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - prevention & control; Diabetic Angiopathies - prevention & control; Drug Therapy, Combination; Endocrinologie, métabolisme & nutrition; Endocrinology, metabolism & nutrition; Forecasting; Human health sciences; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - adverse effects; Medical treatment; Obesity; Obesity - prevention & control; Pharmacie, pharmacologie & toxicologie; Pharmacy, pharmacology & toxicology; Risk Reduction Behavior; Sciences de la santé humaine; Weight control; Weight Gain - drug effects; Weight Loss - drug effects
• DOI: 10.2337/dc14-1630
• ISSN: 0149-5992; 1935-5548

Diabetes is a growing global health concern, as is obesity. Diabetes and obesity are intrinsically linked: obesity increases the risk of diabetes and also contributes to disease progression and cardiovascular disease. Although the benefits of weight loss in the prevention of diabetes and as a critical component of managing the condition are well established, weight reduction remains challenging for individuals with type 2 diabetes due to a host of metabolic and psychological factors. For many patients, lifestyle intervention is not enough to achieve weight loss, and alternative options, such as pharmacotherapy, need to be considered. However, many traditional glucose-lowering medications may lead to weight gain. This article focuses on the potential of currently available pharmacological strategies and on emerging approaches in development to support the glycemic and weight-loss goals of individuals with type 2 diabetes. Two pharmacotherapy types are considered: those developed primarily for blood glucose control that have a favorable effect on body weight and those developed primarily to induce weight loss that have a favorable effect on blood glucose control. Finally, the potential of combination therapies for the management of obese patients with type 2 diabetes is discussed.