Healthy weight loss maintenance with exercise, GLP-1 receptor agonist, or both combined followed by one year without treatment: a post-treatment analysis of a randomised placebo-controlled trial.

Background: New obesity medications result in large weight losses. However, long-term adherence in a real-world setting is challenging, and termination of obesity medication results in weight regain towards pre-treatment body weight. Therefore, we investigated whether weight loss and improved body composition are sustained better at 1 year after termination of active treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, supervised exercise program, or both combined for 1 year. Methods: We conducted a post-treatment study in extension of a randomised, controlled trial in Copenhagen. Adults with obesity (aged 18-65 years and initial body mass index 32-43 kg/m2) completed an eight-week low-calorie diet-induced weight loss of 13.1 kg (week -8 to 0) and were randomly allocated (1:1:1:1) to one-year weight loss maintenance (week 0-52) with either supervised exercise, the GLP-1 receptor agonist once-daily subcutaneous liraglutide 3.0 mg, the combination of exercise and liraglutide, or placebo. 166 Participants completed the weight loss maintenance phase. All randomised participants were invited to participate in the post-treatment study with outcome assessments one year after treatment termination, at week 104. The primary outcome of the post-treatment assessment was change in body weight from after the initial weight loss (at randomisation, week 0) to one year after treatment termination (week 104) in the intention-to-treat population. The secondary outcome was change in body-fat percentage (week 0-104). The study is registered with EudraCT, 2015-005585-32, and with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04122716. Findings: Between Dec 17, 2018, and Dec 17, 2020, 109 participants attended the post-treatment study. From randomisation to one year after termination of combined exercise and liraglutide treatment (week 0-104), participants had reduced body weight (-5.1 kg [95% CI -10.0; -0.2]; P = 0.040) and body-fat percentage (-2.3%-points [-4.3 to -0.3]; P = 0.026) compared with after termination of liraglutide alone. More participants who had previously received combination treatment maintained a weight loss of at least 10% of initial body weight one year after treatment termination (week -8 to 104) compared with participants who had previously received placebo (odds ratio [OR] 7.2 [2.4; 21.3]) and liraglutide (OR 4.2 [1.6; 10.8]). More participants who had previously received supervised exercise maintained a weight loss of at least 10% compared with placebo (OR 3.7 [1.2; 11.1]). During the year after termination of treatment (week 52-104), weight regain was 6.0 kg [2.1; 10.0] larger after termination of liraglutide compared with after termination of supervised exercise and 2.5 kg [-1.5 to 6.5] compared with after termination of combination treatment. Interpretation: The addition of supervised exercise to obesity pharmacotherapy seems to improve healthy weight maintenance after treatment termination compared with treatment termination of obesity pharmacotherapy alone. Body weight and body composition were maintained one year after termination of supervised exercise, in contrast to weight regain after termination of treatment with obesity pharmacotherapy alone. Funding: Helsefonden and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Increased meal-induced neurotensin response predicts successful maintenance of weight loss - Data from a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The gut derived anorexigenic hormone neurotensin (NT) is upregulated after bariatric surgery which may contribute to the sustained weight loss. In contrast, diet-induced weight loss is most often followed by weight regain. We therefore investigated whether diet-induced weight loss impacts levels of circulating NT in mice and humans and whether NT levels predicts body weight change after weight loss in humans. METHODS: In vivo mice study: Obese mice were fed ad-libitum or a restricted diet (40-60 % of average food intake) for 9 days to obtain similar weight loss as observed in the human study. At termination, intestinal segments, the hypothalamus and plasma were collected for histological, real time PCR, and radioimmunoassay (RIA) analysis. CLINICAL TRIAL: Plasma samples from 42 participants with obesity, completing an 8-week low-calorie diet in a randomized controlled trial, were analyzed. Plasma NT was measured by RIA at fasting and during a meal test before and after diet-induced weight loss and after one year of intended weight maintenance. RESULTS: In obese mice, food restriction-induced body weight loss of 14 % was associated with a 64 % reduction in fasting plasma NT (p < 0.0001). In the mouse duodenum (p = 0.07) and jejunum (p < 0.05), NT tissue concentration was decreased without tissue atrophy indicative of a physiological downregulation. In the mouse hypothalamus a downregulation of Pomc (p < 0.01) along with upregulation of Npy (p < 0.001) and Agrp (p < 0.0001) expression was found after restricted feeding in support of increased hunger after diet-induced weight loss. Therefore, we investigated the NT response in humans undergoing weight loss maintenance. In humans, similar to the mice, the low-calorie diet induced weight loss of 13 % body weight was associated with 40 % reduction in fasting plasma NT levels (p < 0.001). Meal-induced NT peak responses were greater in humans who lost additional weight during the 1 year maintenance phase compared to participants who regained weight (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Diet-induced weight loss decreased fasting plasma NT levels in both humans and mice with obesity, and regulated hunger-associated hypothalamic gene expression in mice. Meal-induced NT responses were greater in humans who lost additional weight during the 1 year maintenance phase compared to participants who regained weight. This indicates that increased peak secretion of NT after weight loss may contribute to successful maintenance of weight loss. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02094183.

Exploratory analysis of eating- and physical activity-related outcomes from a randomized controlled trial for weight loss maintenance with exercise and liraglutide single or combination treatment.

Weight regain after weight loss remains a major challenge in obesity treatment and may involve alteration of eating and sedentary behavior after weight loss. In this randomized, controlled, double-blind trial, adults with obesity were randomized, in a 1:1:1:1 ratio stratified by sex and age group (<40 years and ≥40 years), to one-year weight loss maintenance with exercise, the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide, or the combination, as compared with placebo, after low-calorie diet-induced weight loss. Primary outcome was change in body weight, which has been published. Here, we investigated the effects of weight loss maintenance with exercise, liraglutide, or the combination on weight loss-induced changes in the pre-specified explorative outcomes, eating and sedentary behavior in 130 participants who completed the trial according to the study protocol (exercise (n = 26), liraglutide (n = 36), combination (n = 29), and placebo (n = 39)). One year after weight loss, the placebo group had decreased postprandial appetite suppression score by 14%, and increased sedentary time by 31 min/day and regained weight. Liraglutide prevented the decrease in postprandial appetite suppression score compared with placebo (0% vs. -14%; P = 0.023) and maintained weight loss. Exercise after weight loss did not increase appetite or sedentary behavior compared with placebo, despite increased exercise energy expenditure and maintained weight loss. The combination of exercise and liraglutide increased cognitive restraint score (13% vs. -9%; P = 0.042), reflecting a conscious restriction of food intake, and decreased sedentary time by 41 min/day (-10 vs. 31 min/day; 95%CI, -82.3 to -0.2; P = 0.049) compared with placebo, which may have facilitated the additional weight loss. Targeting both eating and sedentary behavior could be the most effective for preventing weight regain.Trial registration: EudraCT number, 2015-005585-32; clinicaltrials.gov number, NCT04122716.

Protocol for a randomised controlled trial of the combined effects of the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide and exercise on maintenance of weight loss and health after a very low-calorie diet.

INTRODUCTION: The success rate of weight loss maintenance is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the maintenance of weight loss and immunometabolic health outcomes after diet-induced weight loss followed by 1-year treatment with a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (liraglutide), physical exercise or the combination of both treatments as compared with placebo in individuals with obesity. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is an investigator-initiated, randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel group trial. We will enrol expectedly 200 women and men (age 18-65 years) with obesity (body mass index 32-43 kg/m2) to adhere to a very low-calorie diet (800 kcal/day) for 8 weeks in order to lose at least 5% of body weight. Subsequently, participants will be randomised in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to one of four study groups for 52 weeks: (1) placebo, (2) exercise 150 min/week+placebo, (3) liraglutide 3.0 mg/day and (4) exercise 150 min/week+liraglutide 3.0 mg/day. The primary endpoint is change in body weight from randomisation to end-of-treatment. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial has been approved by the ethical committee of the Capital Region of Denmark and the Danish Medicines Agency. The trial will be conducted in agreement with the Declaration of Helsinki and monitored to follow the guidelines for good clinical practice. Results will be submitted for publication in international peer-reviewed scientific journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: 2015-005585-32.