Effects of Liraglutide on Metabolic Parameters and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Patients with The Metabolic Syndrome: A 12-Month Prospective Pilot Study

Recent research indicates that therapy with the GLP-1 agonist liraglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) seems to have beneficial actions on blood pressure, lipids, and the atherosclerotic process, which may be independent of its effect on glucose metabolism. However, the effects of liraglutide in subjects with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) are largely unknown. Forty-nine subjects with the MetS (24 men and 25 women, age 65±10 yrs) diagnosed by the AHA/NHLBI criteria were included in a 12-month prospective study. All subjects had T2DM, were naïve to incretin-based therapies, and treated with metformin only. Liraglutide was added at a dose of 0.6 mg subcutaneously daily for …