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The article focuses on a study that assesses the effect of sibutramine use on weight loss in type 2 diabetic patients. It states that subjects in this study entered an initial single-blind, 6-week lead-in period with sibutramine and weight management. Diabetics with cardiovascular disease and another risk factor are the eligible patients in the study.

The article presents a study which assessed the effect of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), on bodyweight and tolerability in obese persons without type 2 diabetes in 19 sites in Europe. The study compared liraglutide with orlistat, the approved weight-loss agent. It was found that rates of prediabetes and metabolic syndrome decreased with liraglutide. The results show the potential benefit of liraglutide, in conjunction with an energy-deficit diet, in treating obesity and its risk factors. Improved efficacy was also observed in obese persons who took liraglutide compared with other available therapies.

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 analog for the once-weekly treatment of type 2 diabetes, provided superior glycemic control and weight loss (WL) vs. comparators in the SUSTAIN clinical trial program. This post hoc analysis assessed if WL was associated with patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and treatment satisfaction improvements in SUSTAIN 2-5 and 7. Data for both semaglutide doses (0.5 and 1.0 mg) were pooled across trials (N=2,808). Change in HRQoL (Short Form-36 Health Survey version 2® [SF-36v2®] Physical Component Summary [PCS] and Mental Component Summary) and treatment satisfaction (Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire status version) scores were evaluated in subjects who achieved ≥5% and ≥10% WL vs. those who did not at end of treatment (30, 40 or 56 weeks). Overall, 51.0% and 17.4% of subjects achieved ≥5% and ≥10% WL with semaglutide. Significantly greater improvements in the overall PCS score and most of its components were reported in subjects achieving ≥5% and ≥10% WL vs. those not achieving these responses (Table). WL responses also correlated with overall treatment satisfaction and perception of hyperglycemia (Table). In conclusion, semaglutide-induced WL was associated with improvements in PCS domains of the SF-36v2®, overall treatment satisfaction and perception of hyperglycemia across the SUSTAIN 2-5 and 7 trials. Disclosure: K.T. Uusinarkaus: Advisory Panel; Self; AstraZeneca, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Amarin Corporation, Amgen Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi US. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Abbott, AbbVie Inc., Amarin Corporation, Pfizer Inc. H.W. Rodbard: Advisory Panel; Self; Bayer US, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc., Sanofi. Consultant; Spouse/Partner; Eli Lilly and Company. Consultant; Self; Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals. Research Support; Self; Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc., Sanofi. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc. L. Van Gaal: Advisory Panel; Self; Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Johnson & Johnson. Speaker's Bureau; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi, Servier. J.P. Wilding: Consultant; Self; Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd., AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, NAPP Pharmaceuticals Limited, Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi. Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk A/S. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, WebMD. T. Hansen: None. A. Sandberg: Employee; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. S. Tadayon: Employee; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. M.J. Davies: Advisory Panel; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen Global Services, LLC., Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier. Research Support; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk Foundation. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi-Aventis, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Funding: Novo Nordisk A/S [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There are only few studies defining persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentrations in various fat compartments from living obese individuals. The present study has therefore determined the concentrations of various classes of organohalogenated compounds, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in visceral fat (VF: n =52) and subcutaneous abdominal fat (SF: n =52) samples collected in 2010–2012 from obese individuals in Belgium. Organohalogen compounds were detected in all fat samples in the decreasing order of their concentrations: PCBs>DDTs>HCHs>CHLs>HCB>HBCDs>PBDEs, suggesting that Belgians have been widely exposed to these contaminants. The levels and the patterns of POP distribution in VF and SF tissue depots were not significantly different. Concentrations of PCBs (VF/SF; median: 285/275ng/g lw) and DDTs (VF/SF; median: 150/155ng/g lw) were the major POPs in all fat samples. Concerning PCBs, PCB 153 (VF/SF: 27/26%) was the most dominant congener, followed by PCB 180 (VF/SF: 17/18%), PCB 138 (VF/SF: 15/14.5%) and PCB 170 (VF/SF: 8.1/8.4%) to the sum PCBs, respectively. Levels of HBCDs (VF/SF; median: 4.0/3.7ng/g lw) and PBDEs (VF/SF; median: 2.6/2.7ng/g lw) were 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than those of PCBs and DDTs. Among PBDEs, BDE 153 (VF/SF: 31/34%) was the dominant congener, followed by BDE 47 (VF/SF: 26/23%), BDE 154 (VF/SF: 16/16%), BDE 100 (VF/SF: 10/11%) and BDE 99 (VF/SF: 9/9%). To our knowledge, this is the first report on HBCD concentrations in Belgian human fat tissues. Total PBDE and HBCD levels in human fat samples could not be correlated with age. In agreement with the literature, a significant correlation (p<0.05) between age and the concentration of PCBs (r =0.828), DDTs (r =0.640), HCHs (r =0.666), CHLs (r =0.534) and HCB (r =0.754), was observed in the present study. Levels of DDTs, HCHs, HCB and CHLs were also significantly correlated to each other, suggesting that they share similar exposure routes. Correlation with computed tomography (CT) scan data revealed that VF and VF/SF ratios are positive for most of the POPs, such as PCBs, PBDEs, p,p′DDE, CHLs, β-HCH, and HCB. To our knowledge, this study is the first to assess the relationship between POP levels in adipose tissue and markers of abdominal adiposity, determined by CT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: REGULATE trial was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of benfluorex versus pioglitazone in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Methods: Double-blind, parallel-group, international, randomised, non-inferiority trial. More than half of the 196 participating centres were primary care centres. Patients eligible had type 2 DM uncontrolled on sulfonylurea. 846 were randomised. They received study treatment for 1 year. 423 patients were allocated to benfluorex (150 to 450 mg/day) and 423 were allocated to pioglitazone (30 to 45 mg/day). Primary efficacy criterion was HbA1c. Safety assessment included blinded echocardiographic evaluation of cardiac and valvular status. Results: At baseline, patients were 59.1±10.5 years old with HbA1c 8.3±0.8%, and DM duration 7.1±6.0 years. During the study, mean HbA1c significantly decreased in both groups (benfluorex: from 8.30±0.80 to 7.77±1.31 versus pioglitazone: from 8.30±0.80 to 7.45±1.30%). The last HbA1c value was significantly lower with pioglitazone than with benfluorex (p<0.001) and non-inferiority of benfluorex was not confirmed (p = 0.19). Among the 615 patients with assessable paired echocardiography (310 benfluorex, 305 pioglitazone), 314 (51%) had at least one morphological valvular abnormality and 515 (84%) at least one functional valvular abnormality at baseline. Emergent morphological abnormalities occurred in 8 patients with benfluorex versus 4 with pioglitazone (OR 1.99), 95% CI (0.59 to 6.69). Emergent regurgitation (new or increased by one grade or more) occurred more frequently with benfluorex (82 patients, 27%) than with pioglitazone (33 patients, 11%) (OR 2.97), 95% CI (1.91 to 4.63) and were mainly rated grade 1; grade 2 (mild) was detected in 2 patients with benfluorex and 3 with pioglitazone. There was no moderate or severe regurgitation. Conclusion: After 1 year of exposure, our results show a 2.97 fold increase in the incidence of valvular regurgitation with benfluorex and provide evidence for the valvular toxicity of this drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implied in the regulation of food intake. In the present study, we genotyped the Val66Met polymorphism in a Belgian cohort of 532 obese women and 197 healthy female controls and were, for the first time, able to show an association of the 66Met allele with obesity, at least in our female cohort. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ß-cell dysfunction is a strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D). The liver plays a central role since insulin clearance (ClearIns) is up to 80% of the insulin secretion rate (ISR). ClearIns is reduced with insulin resistance (IR) and in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our aim was to evaluate if ISR and ß-cell function were decreased in NASH vs. NAFL thus increasing their risk of T2D and the impact of ClearIns and IR. We measured glucose, insulin and c-peptide during a 3h oral glucose tolerance test in 341 subjects with liver biopsy and evaluated ISR (from deconvolution of c-peptide), ClearIns, Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (ISI) and disposition index (DI=ISI∙ΔAUC-I/ΔAUC-G); a low DI indicates a risk to develop T2D. Subjects were grouped according to glucose tolerance, normal (NGT), impaired (IGT) or T2D, and liver histology (noNAFL, NAFL, NASH-Fibrosis F0-F1 and F2-F4). The groups had similar BMI (∼34kg/m2). Severity of NAFLD was associated with increased IR, fasting and postprandial ISR and decreased ClearIns, after adjusting for age and BMI. DI was significantly lower in NASH-F24 in each glucose tolerance group (Figure). Conclusion: Disposition index is reduced in relation to presence and severity of NASH independent of glucose tolerance status supporting an independent role of NASH in the development of T2D. Disclosure: L. Vonghia: None. E. Dirinck: None. F. Carli: None. A. Verrijken: None. J. Weyler: None. P. Michielsen: None. T. Vanwolleghem: None. A. Driessen: None. L. Van Gaal: None. S. Francque: None. C. De Block: Advisory Panel; Self; A. Menarini Diagnostics, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, MSD, Novartis AG, Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. A. Gastaldelli: Consultant; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Inventiva Pharma, Novo Nordisk Inc. Funding: Horizon2020 (634413) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the SCOUT trial that assesses the ability of sibutramine to reduce waist circumference and body weight in obese and overweight patients with and without diabetes at a high risk of a cardiovascular event. A 10 mg of sibutramine with weight management were given to patients. It says that more than 80% of the patients had diabetes and another risk factor.