Obesity Abstracts

Introduction: Liraglutide has been available on the NHS since October 2020. Trial data have shown its association with clinically significant weight loss. At the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT), liraglutide became available for prescription within the tier 3 weight management Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) in September 2021. This audit aims to evaluate the demographics, tolerability, weight loss effects, and HbA1c changes in persons with obesity (PWO) who were prescribed liraglutide.

Methods: Data from thirty-four (34) PWO who met the NICE criteria and were prescribed liraglutide between September 2021 and August 2022 were audited.

Results: The cohort consisted of twenty-three (23) females, with a mean age of 54 ± 13 years (range 20-79). The mean baseline weight was 141.7 kg ± 35.5 (range 92.4-229), and the mean duration of liraglutide use was 11 months at the time of the audit. Ten (29.4%) PWO had discontinued liraglutide, either due to poor clinical response (5/34) (<5% loss of baseline weight at the 3-month review) or side effects (5/34). Males were more likely to discontinue liraglutide due to side effects or poor clinical response (p-value <0.05). The most common side effects reported were gastrointestinal. Age did not significantly predict tolerability (p-value >0.05). At 6 months, 63% of the cohort achieved >5% loss of baseline body weight, and within this group, 37% had >10% loss of the initial body weight. At the time of the review, 50% of the PWO on liraglutide had experienced >10% loss of the initial body weight. Female PWO and ongoing liraglutide users experienced more significant weight loss (p-values 0.03 and 0.013, respectively). The average baseline HbA1c was 44.2 mmol/mol, decreasing to 41.5 mmol/mol at the 6-month review. At the 6-month mark, 54.3% of the cohort had transitioned to an HbA1c in the normoglycemic range. liraglutide use was associated with reduced HbA1c in PWO (p-value <0.05).

Conclusion: The use of liraglutide in PWO demonstrated clear clinical benefits in promoting weight loss and improving glycemia during the period of use. However, it remains unclear if these benefits will persist once the medication is discontinued following two years of use, based on current guidance.