Methods of treatment of obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

The twenty-first century is a continuation of the global obesity epidemic that started in the twentieth century. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), currently the number of deaths due to overweight or obesity exceeds the number of deaths due to malnutrition. The data also show a progressive increase in obesity in the Polish population. In the WOBASZ (Multicenter National Health Survey) (2005) and WOBASZ 2 (Multicenter National Health Survey II) (2015) studies, there is an upward trend in obesity in our population. Long-term abdominal obesity is associated with many negative complications, it is the cause of the development of insulin resistance, which results in disorders of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, which in the long term may lead to the development of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). For this reason, methods of effective obesity treatment in overweight/obese patients with already diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are being sought. Among obese patients who are diagnosed with comorbidities, combating the obesity epidemic should rely on a multimodal approach. It is extremely important that the treatment strategy should include both elements of behavioral methods, such as modification of eating habits and introduction of physical activity to everyday life, as well as pharmacological therapy and, in extreme cases, bariatric surgery. The implementation of diet therapy and reducing the amount of adipose tissue with a simultaneous increase in muscle mass result not only in improved well-being but also in the compensation of metabolic disorders, which is an invaluable support for pharmacotherapy. This article is a review of currently available drugs for the treatment of diabetes with beneficial effects in terms of weight loss and weight-loss drugs, which, despite the lack of antihyperglycemic effect, can be used as supplementary preparations in the treatment of obese patients with diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2DM).