title: Therapies for inter-relating diabetes and obesity - GLP-1 and obesity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with increased mortality, morbidity as well as public health care expenses worldwide. The need for effective and long-lasting pharmaceutical treatment is obvious. The record of anti-obesity drugs has been poor so far and the only efficient treatment today is bariatric surgery. Research has indicated that appetite inhibiting hormones from the gut may have a therapeutic potential in obesity. The gut incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), appears to be involved in both peripheral and central pathways mediating satiety. Clinical trials have shown that two GLP-1 receptor agonists exenatide and liraglutide have a weight-lowering potential in non-diabetic obese individuals. Furthermore, they may also hold a potential in preventing diabetes as compared to other weight loss agents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The purpose of this review is to cover the background for the GLP-1-based therapies and their potential in obesity and pre-diabetes. Up-to-date literature on incretin-based therapies will be summarized with a special mention of their weight-lowering properties. The literature updated to August 2014 from PubMed was identified using the combinations: GLP-1, GLP-1 receptor agonists, incretins, obesity and pre-diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incretin impairment, which seems to exist in both obesity and diabetes, may link these two pathologies and underlines the potential of GLP-1-based therapies in the prevention and treatment of these diseases.
authors.affiliation: University of Copenhagen, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences , Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200 , Denmark.
authors.forename: Eva W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Iepsen
authors.forename: Signe S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Torekov
authors.forename: Jens J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Holst
mesh_terms: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D000077270:Exenatide; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000067757:Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054795:Incretins / Q000378:metabolism; D000069450:Liraglutide; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D018027:Receptors, Glucagon / Q000819:agonists*; D014688:Venoms / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; C000593833:GLP1R protein, human; D000067757:Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D054795:Incretins; D010455:Peptides; D018027:Receptors, Glucagon; D014688:Venoms; D000069450:Liraglutide; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; D000077270:Exenatide
keywords: glucagon-like peptide 1; glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists; incretins; obesity; pre-diabetes; type 2 diabetes mellitus