title: Effects of liraglutide, a human glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue, on body weight, body fat area and body fat-related markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of six-month liraglutide treatment on body weight, visceral and subcutaneous fat and related markers in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 59 patients with type 2 diabetes were treated with liraglutide (0.3 mg/day for ≥1 week and then 0.6 mg/day for ≥1 week, gradually increasing the dose to 0.9 mg/day) for six months. Changes in body weight, body mass index (BMI), HbA1c, the fasting blood glucose level, visceral and subcutaneous fat areas, hepatic and renal CT values and the associated markers proinsulin, adiponectin and pentraxin (PTX) 3 were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included one treatment-naïve patient, 10 patients who were switched from oral antidiabetic drugs and 35 patients who were switched from insulin therapy. At six months after treatment, the preprandial blood glucose levels were higher (148.8±40.5 mg/dL) than the baseline values (130.8±36.7, p<0.05); however, body weight, BMI and abdominal circumference were lower, and the liver/kidney CT ratio improved significantly from 1.64±0.44 at baseline to 1.78±0.42. An analysis of the patients who were not pretreated with insulin resistance ameliorators showed that six months of liraglutide treatment significantly decreased the subcutaneous but not visceral fat areas, significantly decreased the serum adiponectin levels and significantly increased the serum PTX3 levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to its glucose-lowering effects, liraglutide exhibits weight loss promotion actions, reducing subcutaneous fat areas in particular. The weight and total fat area reduction properties of liraglutide are likely to be beneficial when this medication is used in combination with other oral antidiabetic drugs and insulin.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Japan. daisuke@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toyoda
authors.forename: Moritugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyauchi
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Eitaro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuriyama
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyatake
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umezono
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukagawa
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D050154:Adiposity / Q000187:drug effects*; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D044466:Asian People; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects; D007564:Japan; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000069450:Liraglutide; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D011384:Proinsulin / Q000097:blood; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000032:analysis; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D000069450:Liraglutide; D011384:Proinsulin; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins; C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human