Therapy of obese patients with cardiovascular disease

Ankur Jindal1, Adam Whaley-Connell, Stephen Brietzke

  • 1University of Missouri Columbia, School of Medicine, United States.

Insights

Obesity is a major public health issue with limited effective treatments. This review covers current and emerging obesity treatments, including new medications and bariatric surgery, focusing on cardiovascular risk reduction.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pharmacology
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • Obesity is a global epidemic linked to serious health issues like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
  • Effective long-term obesity treatment options are scarce, especially after sibutramine withdrawal.
  • Modest weight loss significantly improves cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current and emerging pharmacological and surgical treatments for obesity.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of these treatments in improving cardiovascular risk factors.
  • To highlight recently approved anti-obesity medications.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of obesity treatments.
  • Analysis of efficacy data for weight loss interventions.
  • Focus on pharmacological and surgical approaches.

Main Results:

  • Orlistat remains a primary pharmacological option; Belviq and Qsymia are newly approved.
  • Bariatric surgery is effective for obesity and comorbidities.
  • Weight loss interventions demonstrably improve diabetes and CVD risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Despite challenges, effective obesity management strategies exist, including new medications and surgery.
  • Improving cardiovascular health is a key benefit of weight loss.
  • Ongoing research is crucial for developing better anti-obesity therapies.

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