Weight effects of antidiabetic agents

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Obesity and diabetes are on the rise, which remains a continuous health concern worldwide. It is important to consider weight effects of antidiabetic agents prior to initiation as different antidiabetic agents impact weight differently.

Areas covered: New agents to treat diabetes, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, have emerged over recent years that have been shown to result in weight reduction. Unfortunately, other antidiabetic medications used can cause weight gain such as with insulin, sulfonylureas, and thiazolidediones while some remain weight neutral (metformin and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors). The weight effects of these antidiabetic medications described are from select relevant guidelines, clinical trials, reviews, and meta-analysis found through PubMed and Ovid databases up to July 2017.

Expert commentary: This article summarizes the current evidence available on the weight effects of these agents in patients with diabetes. Evaluating potential risks, such as weight gain, with potential benefits, such as improvement in glycemic control, will help with designing optimal therapeutic diabetes regimens.

KEYWORDS:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• obesity
• antidiabetic
• treatment
• insulin
• sulfonylureas
• sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors
• glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist
• thiazolidinediones
• metformin

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.