Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Obesity is a global public health challenge. Semaglutide, a weekly GLP-1 agonist, was recently approved in Europe for weight loss. There is paucity of real-life data about the effectiveness and safety of semaglutide for weight management.

Methods: Real-world data of semaglutide use in a weight management clinic in Athens, Greece, for individuals with BMI (body mass index) > 30 kg/square meter without diabetes, including all patients with at least 3-month follow-up.

Results: Analysis included 18 individuals (12 females, 6 males) with a mean age of 49.5 years and weight of 105 kg. Average BMI was 38.8, with eight having BMI >40, four BMI 35-40, and six BMI 30-35. The most common weight-related complications were prediabetes (12/18), dyslipidaemia (12/18), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (10/18), obstructive sleep apnoea (5/18), and hypertension (3/18). Baseline mean fasting glucose and HbA1c were 6.3 mmol/l and HbA1c 39 mmol/l/mol, respectively. One patient discontinued semaglutide after 8 weeks due to protracted vomiting, but pancreatitis was excluded. Among the remaining 17 patients, mean percentage 3-month weight change was -6.4%, with three achieving weight loss <5%, eleven 5-10%, and three >10%. Six-month data were available for 8 individuals, with average weight loss of 11.6%, including four patients with 14-20%, two with 5-10%, and two with <5% (4.4% and 4.6%) weight reduction. In total, 14 out of 18 participants (77.7%) responded well, with 8 attaining weight loss of 5% or more in 3 months and 6 weight loss of >7% in 6 months. Two patients achieved 6-month weight reduction of 4.4-4.6%, while one did not lose weight.

Discussion: Real-world data confirm the effectiveness and safety of semaglutide for weight management. Ensuring access to semaglutide, in line with recent NICE recommendations, could change the current paradigm of care, reducing the burden of obesity and its comorbidities.