Pharmacotherapy and physical exercise, necessary allies to treat obesity?

According to the World Obesity Federation’s World Obesity Atlas, obesity is one of the most persistent health challenges of the 21st century, affecting millions of people around the world. In Spain, according to the GIRO Guide, 55.8% of adults are overweight and 18.7% are obese. If current trends continue, by 2035 more than half of the population could be obese.

In a new study, it has been determined that combining physical exercise with medications for the treatment of obesity based on GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists could significantly improve the final outcome of the treatment. This combination would not only promote weight loss, but could also prevent weight gain again, as well as improve the cardiovascular health of people with obesity.

The study is the result of a collaboration of the Effort Physiology Laboratory of the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences of the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) with the Department of Physical and Sports Education, of the Faculty of Sports Sciences and the Mixed University Sports and Health Institute (iMUDS) of the University of Granada (UGR), both universities in Spain.

Advances in the treatment of obesity using drugs based on GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) receptor agonists and co-agonists of GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide) and GLP-1 receptors have revolutionized the treatment of obesity problems. These medications, which regulate appetite and energy intake, can significantly reduce body weight, improve glycemic control, and provide cardiovascular benefits. All of this helps reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases, myocardial infarction and stroke by 20% compared to using a placebo. According to the UPM and UGR researchers, the combination of these drugs with exercise could enhance these benefits by improving cardiorespiratory capacity, vascular and musculoskeletal function and glucose regulation, as well as increasing the sensitivity of skeletal muscles to hormones and nutrients.

Physical exercise can very effectively complement pharmacological treatments to lose weight. (Photo: CDC/Amanda Mills)

According to Dr. Javier Butragueño, from the UPM Effort Physiology Laboratory, co-author of the study and member of the Spanish Obesity Society (SEEDO): “It is essential that health professionals understand the importance of combining pharmacological strategies with programs “This approach not only optimizes results, but also provides support for maintaining a healthy weight and improving musculoskeletal function.”

Furthermore, as suggested in the study, this “drug-exercise” metabolic alliance goes beyond simple weight loss. GLP-1 medications target metabolically altered pathways, and exercise leads to improvements in cardiovascular health, glucose homeostasis, and body composition, particularly muscle and bone. Dr. Jonatan Ruiz, co-author of the study, professor of physical activity and health and director of the iMUDS at the University of Granada, indicates that: “This integrated approach to pharmacotherapy and exercise not only addresses weight loss, but could also significantly improve cardiometabolic health of patients. There is enough evidence to indicate that, with the right support and tools, we can offer a real opportunity to improve the health and transform the quality of life of people with obesity.” Dr. Ruiz, who coordinates the SEEDO exercise working group, also points out that there is still much to investigate and it is necessary to carry out integrative studies that combine several strategies to create precision medicine that can help the patient improve their state of health. health, not only improving weight loss, but facilitating long-term maintenance.

The authors of the study conclude that “now is the right time for societies and health groups to support the inclusion of exercise as a complementary tool in the treatment of obesity. The evidence on the metabolic benefits of both treatments, pharmacology and exercise, makes it necessary to take this metabolic alliance into account in the treatment of this disease and its associated pathologies.”

The study is titled “Metabolic alliance: pharmacotherapy and exercise management of obesity.” And it has been published in the academic journal Nature Review Endocrinology. (Source: UPM)