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Clinical Research

The effect of obesity pharmacotherapy on body composition, including muscle mass

International Journal of Obesity (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Obesity pharmacotherapy represents a promising approach to treating obesity and may provide benefits beyond weight loss alone. Maintaining or even increasing muscle mass during weight loss is important to overall health, metabolic function and weight loss maintenance. Drugs such as liraglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide, and naltrexone/bupropion have shown significant weight loss effects, and emerging evidence suggests they may also have effects on body composition, particularly a positive influence on muscle mass. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanism of action of these drugs and their effects on muscle mass. Clinicians should consider these factors when developing an obesity treatment plan for an individual patient.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes and Obesity Unit, Athens Medical Center, 15125, Athens, Greece

    Georgia Argyrakopoulou, Evdoxia Gitsi & Sofia K. Konstantinidou

  2. First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Sofia K. Konstantinidou & Alexander Kokkinos

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  1. Georgia Argyrakopoulou
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  2. Evdoxia Gitsi
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  3. Sofia K. Konstantinidou
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  4. Alexander Kokkinos
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GA and EG, research, writing, and proof reading; SK research and proof reading; AK manuscript editing and proof reading; EG, prepared table.

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Correspondence to Georgia Argyrakopoulou.

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Competing interests

GA reports having received honoraria for lectures from Novo Nordisk, Pharmaserve Lilly, Astra Zeneca, Bausch Health, Menarini Diagnostics, Bohringer Ingelheim, Winmedica, Abbott and serving on advisory boards for Novo Nordisk, Pharmaserve Lilly and Menarini Diagnostics. AK reports having received research grants from Novo Nordisk, Pharmaserve Lilly, and ELPEN Pharma, serving on advisory boards for Novo Nordisk, Pharmaserve Lilly, Sanofi, and Boehringer-Ingelheim, as well as receiving honoraria for lectures from Novo Nordisk, Pharmaserve Lilly, Astra Zeneca, MSD, Sanofi, Bausch Health, Ethicon, Galenica Pharma, and Epsilon Health. EG and SKK declare no competing financial interests.

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Argyrakopoulou, G., Gitsi, E., Konstantinidou, S.K. et al. The effect of obesity pharmacotherapy on body composition, including muscle mass. Int J Obes (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-024-01533-3

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