[Effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 on appetite and body weight: preclinical and clinical data].

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Pharmacological treatments of diabetes are mostly associated with weight gain, an undesirable event due to the fact that an increase in adiposity, especially visceral, is associated with reduced insulin sensitivity, worse cardiovascular risk profile and decreased adherence to treatment. Analogues of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) represent a new therapeutic option for type 2 diabetes, which offer the advantage of combining beneficial effects on metabolic control with a significant reduction in body weight. In this review, we discuss data of preclinical studies and clinical trials that evaluated the effects of liraglutide and exenatide, the two analogues of GLP-1 currently available in Italy, on body weight.