Adult Diabetes Drug May Work In Obese Youths

Byetta, a drug designed to help adults suffering from type 2 diabetes, has been found to help severely obese youths to lose weight, a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics has found. While the drug normally helps with the production of hormone insulin, it can also slow down how quickly food moves through the body, which makes a person feel fuller. It also helps the receptors in the brain that control appetite, which could help to curb overeating.  While researchers concede that the amount of weight lost on the drug was “modest,” it could still potentially represent a step in the right direction for the treatment of obesity.

Treating Obesity

For the study, researchers assigned 26 obese teens ages 12 to 19 to either twice daily injections of Byetta or a placebo. Subjects were instructed to inject the drug once before breakfast, and then once before dinner. After three months, those on the placebo were offered the chance to switch to Byetta. At the end of the study, researchers noted that those who received the Byetta injections for the entirety of the study had a nearly 3 percent greater reduction in their body mass index compared to those on the placebo. Those on Byetta lost about 7 pounds more than those on the placebo. Additionally,

researchers noted that those on the drug had seen a slight decrease in systolic blood pressure, which is important to reducing heart risk factors.

Initially, subjects reported suffering from diarrhea, headaches, and vomiting, but side effects tapered off as the study went on.

Researchers are quick to stress that Byetta has not been approved for weight loss, and probably won’t be for quite some time. But the findings represent an important first step into the possible treatment of obesity in youths. These findings come after the the Food and Drug Administration had approved two new drugs for the treatment of obesity in adults, Belviq and Qysmia.

The study, which was funded by the University of Minnesota, the National Center for Research Resources, and the National Institutes of Health, has left researchers hopeful that the treatment of severe obesity may be right around the corner.

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