Effectiveness of liraglutide 3 mg for the treatment of obesity in a real-world setting without intensive lifestyle intervention

Abstract

Objective We investigated the efficacy and safety of liraglutide 3 mg daily in combination with diet and exercise 2, 4, and 6 months after initiation in real-world settings in Korea. Methods People first using liraglutide starting in 2018 were recruited from ten sites in Korea. Body weight and body mass index (BMI) were measured after 2, 4, and 6 months and compared with baseline values. Results The full cohort comprised 769 participants: 672 in the 2-month group, 427 in the 4-month group, and 219 in the 6-month group. The baseline mean +/- standard deviation of BMI and body weight were 32.2 +/- 5.1 kg/m(2), and 87.5 +/- 18.8 kg, respectively. Body weight and BMI decreased after initiation of liraglutide treatment: -2.94 kg and -1.08 kg/m(2) at 2 months; -4.23 kg and -1.55 kg/m(2) at 4 months, and -5.14 kg and -1.89 kg/m(2) at 6 months (all P < 0.001). In the 6-month cohort, 52.5% and 18.3% of subjects lost >= 5% and >= 10% of body weight, respectively. After 6 months, systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly by 3.90 and 1.93 mmHg, respectively. In those with diabetes mellitus, HbA1c and fasting glucose levels decreased significantly by 1.14% and 27.8 mg/dl, respectively. Among all participants, 27.6% experienced adverse effects, including nausea (20.8%), vomiting (5.2%), diarrhoea (2.5%), and skin rash (3.6%). Documented reasons for discontinuation of treatment were lack of effect (4.4%), adverse events (4.3%), and high cost (3.1%). Conclusions In real-world settings in Korea, daily treatment with liraglutide 3 mg was associated with clinically meaningful weight loss without serious adverse events.