Liraglutide 3mg daily plus intensive lifestyle modification compared against bariatric surgery for 1-year BMI reduction

Despite its efficacy, only about 1% of clinically eligible patients undergo bariatric surgery for obesity. This significant treatment gap necessitates the exploration of alternative or complementary strategies. Liraglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, has demonstrated considerable weight loss benefits, making it a promising pharmacological option. Combining such agents with structured intensive lifestyle modifications (ILM) could offer a less invasive yet effective pathway for patients with obesity, potentially expanding access to impactful weight management beyond surgical interventions.

This study, conducted at an Italian University Hospital, recruited non-diabetic patients eligible for bariatric surgery from a weight loss clinic. Participants had the option to choose one of three weight-loss programs, with 25 subjects allocated to each arm, matched by BMI and age. The intervention arms included: (1) Intensive Lifestyle Modification (ILM) plus Liraglutide 3mg daily, (2) ILM alone, and (3) Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG). The ILM protocol involved a 600kcal very-low-calorie-diet (VLCD) for 1 month, followed by a 12kcal/kgbw high-protein, high-fat-diet for 11 months, alongside 30 minutes brisk-walk daily and at least 3 hours aerobic-exercise weekly. SG patients received 1-month VLCD followed by a free diet. Patients were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, with BMI at 1-year as the primary endpoint.

The abstract describes the study's design and objectives but does not present any results or specific numerical findings regarding weight loss or BMI changes at the 1-year mark for any of the intervention groups (intensive lifestyle modification with or without Liraglutide 3mg daily versus sleeve gastrectomy). Therefore, no percentages, p-values, or fold-changes can be reported from this abstract. The study aims to assess the comparative efficacy of these distinct approaches to obesity management.