May 2025

ENDOCRINOLOGY

PRIORITIZING WEIGHT LOSS IN PATIENTS WITH OBESITY AND COMORBIDITIES

Featuring:  Robert F.Kushner, MD
In a recent Medscape ReCAP, Robert F. Kushner, MD, emphasizes the importance of weight loss—particularly the reduction of body fat—as a critical strategy for enhancing overall health and mitigating the risk of adverse outcomes and associated comorbidities. 
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Dr. Kushner stresses that effective weight management hinges on lifestyle modifications, notably the adoption of a balanced, calorie-controlled diet combined with regular physical activity.

In addition to lifestyle interventions, pharmacological agents like GLP-1 and GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists can play a significant role in weight management and the prevention or improvement of obesity-related comorbidities.
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Dr. Kushner reports that recent clinical trials underscore the significant benefits of these medications. In the SELECT trial, which he was involved in, a GLP-1 receptor agonist reduced major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in patients with cardiovascular disease. Similarly, the SUMMIT trial demonstrated that tirzepatide—a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor co-agonist—significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and obesity.

Watch the Medscape ReCAP for the full interview.
Robert F. Kushner, MD, professor of Endocrinology.

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