NEJM An Effective And Healthy Long-term Weight Loss Strategy

1. Huateng Pharma https://en.huatengsci.com NEJM: An Effective And Healthy Long-term Weight Loss Strategy There are nearly 40% of people are overweight and 13% are obese in the global. Obesity not only affects body shape, but also brings to many diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers and so on. Therefore, weight loss is also a "subject" that many people have to face. Many people who have experienced weight loss have the experience: it may not be difficult to lose weight in a short time, but it's difficult to maintain the weight for a long time and avoid rebound. In fact, this is an important and unresolved issue in the medical community. On May 6, 2021, a study published in the top journal New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) brings important evidence for this. A research team led by scholars from the University of Copenhagen tested four different strategies and found the most beneficial way to maintain long-term weight loss and improve overall health: a combination of weight-loss drugs and lifestyle changes, rather than relying on a single approach. "The focus of obesity treatment has alwasy been on how to lose weight, not how to

2. Huateng Pharma https://en.huatengsci.com maintain weight loss," said Signe Torekov, a professor at the University of Copenhagen and the study's corresponding author. This evidence fills the gap in the past. And it is new knowledge that doctors, nutritionists and physiotherapists can use in their clinical practice. Dr. Scott Kahan, head of the National Center for Weight and Health of the United States, commented, “This study emphasizes the importance of comprehensive weight-loss strategies. Weight-loss drugs are useful, but they are not ‘magic’. Sustainable diet control and regular exercise are also key. All obesity treatments including drugs and surgery are supplementary methods based on lifestyle changes." Four ways to lose weight This is a randomized, head-to-head, placebo-controlled trial in obese adults (BMI 32-43). These obese people are relatively young on the whole, about 40 years old. They have not diabetes yet, but their overall fitness rating is poor. After 8 weeks of low-calorie diet, the average weight of 195 subjects dropped by 13.1 kg, and blood sugar and blood pressure levels were also significantly improved. Next, they were randomly divided into groups to accept one of the following 4 maintenance strategies for weight loss for a period of 1 year: ▲Exercise group: medium to high intensity exercise plan (150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, or a combination of both) + placebo; among them, running, cycling and brisk walking are the main exercises. ▲Liraglutide treatment group: Liraglutide treatment (3.0 mg per day) + regular exercise. ▲Combination therapy group: medium to high intensity exercise program + liraglutide therapy. ▲Control group: placebo + routine activities. Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogue, which can delay the digestion process, prevent the liver producing too much glucose, and help the pancreas produce more insulin, thereby regulating blood sugar. At the same time, it can also reduce hunger, thereby reducing food intake. In addition to its application in the treatment of diabetes, liraglutide has also been approved by the FDA for long-term weight management of adults and adolescents. All subjects are weighed every month and receive nutrition and diet advice to ensure that their weight loss methods are in a healthy way. Weight loss comparison

3. Huateng Pharma https://en.huatengsci.com The primary endpoint of the study was the change in body weight at the end of the maintenance treatment period. The data shows that after one year, the three active treatment strategies are better than the control group, resulting in further weight loss. ▲In the control group who did not receive medication or change their exercise habits, their previous weight loss results rebounded by half, and the risk factors caused by obesity have worsened, such as more people developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. ▲Compared with the control group, the exercise group lost an average of 4.1 kg more during the 1-year maintenance period, and the liraglutide treatment group lost an average of 6.8 kg. ▲The combined treatment group had the best results, averaging an additional 9.5kg. That's a total loss of 16kg in a year! The weight change of the control group (purple), exercise group (yellow), liraglutide group (red) and combination treatment group (orange) during the 1-year weight loss period (CREDIT: Karina Kjærgård Kranker) The overall health improvement effect of the combination treatment group was also the best. On the secondary endpoint of the study, the body fat rate of the combined treatment group was reduced by an average of 3.9%, almost twice as much as the exercise-only group (1.7%) and the liraglutide-only treatment group (1.9%).

4. Huateng Pharma https://en.huatengsci.com Moreover, only the combination therapy group showed further improvements in glycosylated hemoglobin levels, insulin sensitivity, and cardiopulmonary adaptability. Exercise is indispensable, and transform the lifestyle completely Another set of data also emphasizes the importance of maintaining exercise. The research team observed that the two groups of people who participated in mid-to-high intensity exercise had better physical fitness scores, decreased body fat and increased muscle mass. Compared with just losing fat, and no improvement in physical fitness, while reducing fat and increasing muscle is a healthier way to lose weight. Professor Signe Torekov said: "This is very important. If you lose a lot of muscle at the same time, you may not get a healthier body from weight loss." Moreover, adequate exercise is not so difficult to achieve. "Approximately 115 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week, such as cycling, can maintain weight loss. Compared with monotherapy, exercise and weight-loss drugs can achieve twice the effect." Professor Signe Torekov also pointed out that many people will eventually rebound when they lose weight. In this study, professionals have followed up for a long time to support and ensure that subjects comply with treatment and exercise. "This is necessary. It is indeed very difficult to maintain weight loss. Of course, if there is no exercise plan, just regular consultation is not enough. People should know that losing weight doesn't mean you're done, healthy eating and exercise require perseverance throughout the year.

5. Huateng Pharma https://en.huatengsci.com " In addition, the research team pointed out that this strategy is also applicable to other prescription weight-loss drugs. At present, many drugs have been approved for weight loss in the world. In addition to liraglutide, there are Orlistat, Qsymia and Contrave. The choice of specific drugs may depend on the patient's health and preferences. Huateng Pharma, a professional pharmaceutical intermediates supplier in China, it provides a wide range of pharmaceutical intermediates to global customers. There are anti-cancer series, anti-virus series, anti-diabetic series, antihypertensive series and so on. We supply intermediates for Semaglutide, Liraglutide and Alogliptin which are anti-diabetic medications used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. For liraglutide intermediates, they are CAS No. 536721-25-2, CAS No. 294855-91-7, CAS No. 1491158-62-3 and CAS No. 204521-63-1. References: [1] Julie R. Lundgren, et al., (2021). Healthy Weight Loss Maintenance with Exercise, Liraglutide, or Both Combined. The N Engl J Med, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2028198 [2] Researchers find the secret behind maintaining a healthy weight loss. Retrieved May 7, 2021, from https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-05/uoc--rft050621.php [3] Drug saxenda aids weight loss—but you should exercise, too. Retrieved May 7, 2021, from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-drug-saxenda-aids-weight-lossbut.html Realted articles: [1] Glucagon Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1) Agonist Drugs for Type 2 Diabetes [2] Liraglutide, Used For Treating Against Type 2 Diabetes And Obesity