Intensive lifestyle modifications with or without liraglutide 3 mg vs. sleeve gastrectomy: A three-arm non-randomised, controlled, pilot study

Subjects/methods. - In this study performed at an Italian university hospital, non-diabetic patients eligible for bariatric surgery were recruited from a weight-loss clinic and had the option to choose from three possible weight-loss programmes up to an allocation of 25 subjects in each arm matched by Bil and age. ILM consisted in 813 kcal of a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) for 1 month, followed by a diet of 12 kcal/kg body weight of high protein and high fat for 11 months plus 30 min of brisk walking daily and at least 3 h of aerobic exercise weekly. SG patients followed a VLCD for 1 month and a free diet thereafter. Patients were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

Background/Objectives. - As only 1% of clinically eligible subjects choose to undergo surgical treatment for obesity, other options should be investigated. This study aimed to assess the effects of intensive lifestyle modification (ILM) with or without 3-mg liraglutide daily vs. sleeve gastrectomy (SG) on BMI after 1 year.