Cardiovascular Effects of the New Weight Loss Agents

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Cardiology Vol. 68; no. 8; pp. 849 - 859
• Main Authors: Vorsanger, Matthew H., Subramanyam, Pritha, Weintraub, Howard S., Lamm, Steven H., Underberg, James A., Gianos, Eugenia, Goldberg, Ira J., Schwartzbard, Arthur Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 23.08.2016; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Anti-Obesity Agents - pharmacology; Cardiology; Cardiovascular; cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; FDA approval; Health risk assessment; Humans; Life Style; Low density lipoprotein; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - drug therapy; pharmacology; prevention; Risk Factors; risk factors; SBP; cardiovascular disease; FDA; LDL-C; GLP; HR; HDL-C; POMC; pharmacology; hsCRP; risk factors; HbA1c; obesity; prevention; BMI; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; systolic blood pressure; glucagon-like peptide; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; glycosylated hemoglobin; Food and Drug Administration; pro-opiomelanocortin; body mass index; HbA 1c; hazard ratio
• ISSN: 0735-1097; 1558-3597; 1558-3597
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2016.06.007

The global obesity epidemic and its impact on cardiovascular outcomes is a topic of ongoing debate and investigation in the cardiology community. It is well known that obesity is associated with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Although life-style changes are the first line of therapy, they are often insufficient in achieving weight loss goals. Liraglutide, naltrexone/bupropion, and phentermine/topiramate are new agents that have been recently approved to treat obesity, but their effects on cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes are not well described. This review summarizes data currently available for these novel agents regarding drug safety, effects on major cardiovascular risk factors, impact on cardiovascular outcomes, outcomes research that is currently in progress, and areas of uncertainty. Given the impact of obesity on cardiovascular health, there is a pressing clinical need to understand the effects of these agents beyond weight loss alone.