Obesity Management in Cardiometabolic Disease: State of the Art

Purpose of Review To summarize research from the last 5 years on the effects of weight loss treatments, including lifestyle changes, anti-obesity medications, and bariatric procedures on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and CVD outcomes in adults. Recent Findings This narrative review includes and summarizes the contemporary evidence of the effects of these different weight loss approaches individually. A literature search was performed using the key words obesity, weight loss, CVD, cardiometabolic, and risk factors and included key clinical trials from the past 5 years. Obesity management through weight loss is associated with improvements in CVD risk factors, such as improved blood pressure, lipid profiles, and glycemic control, with greater weight loss leading to greater improvements in CVD risk factors. Bariatric surgery is associated with greater weight loss than the other procedures and treatments for obesity, and for this, and possibly for other reasons, it is associated with greater reductions in CVD outcomes and mortality. Obesity is an independent risk factor and modulator of other CVD risk factors, and thus, treatment of obesity should be an integral part of management strategies to reduce CVD risk. Future trials and real-world studies of longer duration are needed to inform providers and patients on how to individualize the approach to modifying risks of cardiometabolic disorders through obesity management.

Automated summary

Research over the past 5 years has shown that weight loss treatments, including lifestyle changes, anti-obesity medications, and bariatric procedures, have a positive impact on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Bariatric surgery, in particular, leads to greater weight loss and reductions in CVD outcomes and mortality compared to other treatments for obesity.