medwireNews: The specific medications people are taking for diabetes can affect their success when they undertake a weight-loss program, say researchers.
Although people lost weight, on average, regardless of which medications they were taking, those taking medications that promote weight loss or have a neutral effect lost an average of 3.3 kg whereas those taking medications known to promote weight gain lost a significantly smaller 2.5 kg.
The study from Jennifer Logue (University of Glasgow College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, UK) and team involved 998 people with type 2 diabetes who attended at least two sessions of a local weight management service.
The team regarded metformin, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors as weight neutral or promoting loss. Sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, and insulin were grouped as promoting weight gain.
“Although those prescribed weight-neutral medications had a higher BMI on average than those on weight-gaining medications, there were many participants prescribed weight-gaining medications that were deemed in need of weight management,” write the researchers in Diabetic Medicine.
“Ensuring that people are prescribed appropriate diabetes medications at the time of referral to a lifestyle weight management programme may help maximize the success of the intervention.”
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