Background: Weight loss decreases energy expenditure and increases appetite, leading to weight regain. Energy expenditure can be targeted with exercise, and appetite with the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, liraglutide.The objective was to investigate 1-year weight loss maintenance and change in body composition with liraglutide, exercise, and the combination in individuals with obesity after a very low-calorie diet (VLCD).

Methods: Double-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled trial. Following 8-weeks of VLCD (800 kcal/day), inducing a body weight loss of ≥ 5%, the participants were randomized to 1-year of treatment with 1) liraglutide 3.0 mg/day (LIRA), 2) exercise 150 min/week + placebo (EX), 3) exercise 150 min/week + liraglutide 3.0 mg/day (LIRA + EX), or 4) placebo (PLA).

Results: Participants with obesity were included (n = 215, 64% women, age 42 years (IQR 30.7 to 51.9), BMI 36.6 kg/m2 (34.5 to 39.2)). See Table 1 for all results.

Conclusion: The combination of liraglutide and exercise was superior to placebo and exercise alone, and numerically better to liraglutide, in weight loss maintenance and further weight reduction. Fat percentage loss with the combination treatment was superior to liraglutide and exercise alone, supporting the combined treatment for healthy weight loss maintenance.

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Disclosure

C. Janus: Research Support; Spouse/Partner; Mercodia, Novo Nordisk A/S. Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk Foundation. Research Support; Spouse/Partner; Novo Nordisk Foundation. Speaker’s Bureau; Spouse/Partner; Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. J.R. Lundgren: None. S. Jensen: None. L.M. Olsen: None. C. Juhl: None. M.B. Blond: None. R.M. Christensen: None. K.N. Bojsen-Moller: None. M.S. Svane: None. T. Bandholm: Employee; Spouse/Partner; Novo Nordisk A/S. Stock/Shareholder; Spouse/Partner; Novo Nordisk A/S. J.B. Jensen: None. B. Stallknecht: None. J.J. Holst: Advisory Panel; Self; AstraZeneca, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Novo Nordisk A/S, Zealand Pharma A/S. Other Relationship; Spouse/Partner; Antag Therapeutics. S. Madsbad: Advisory Panel; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi-Aventis. Research Support; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk A/S. Speaker’s Bureau; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk A/S. S.S. Torekov: Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc.

Funding

Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF16OC0019968); Novo Nordisk Center for Metabolic Research; Helsefonden

© 2020 by the American Diabetes Association
2020
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