Use of prescribed opioids before and after bariatric surgery: prospective evidence from a U.S. multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND

Limited evidence suggests bariatric surgery may not reduce opioid analgesic use, despite improvements in pain.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if use of prescribed opioid analgesics changes in the short and long term after bariatric surgery and to identify factors associated with continued and postsurgery initiated use.

SETTING

Ten U.S. hospitals.

METHODS

The Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery-2 is an observational cohort study. Assessments were conducted presurgery, 6 months postsurgery, and annually postsurgery for up to 7 years until January 2015. Opioid use was defined as self-reported daily, weekly, or "as needed" use of a prescribed medication classified as an opioid analgesic.

RESULTS

Of 2258 participants with baseline data, 2218 completed follow-up assessment(s) (78.7% were female, median body mass index: 46; 70.6% underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass). Prevalence of opioid use decreased after surgery from 14.7% (95% CI: 13.3-16.2) at baseline to 12.9% (95% CI: 11.5-14.4) at month 6 but then increased to 20.3%, above baseline levels, as time progressed (95% CI: 18.2-22.5) at year 7. Among participants without baseline opioid use (n = 1892), opioid use prevalence increased from 5.8% (95% CI: 4.7-6.9) at month 6 to 14.2% (95% CI: 12.2-16.3) at year 7. Public versus private health insurance, more pain presurgery, undergoing subsequent surgeries, worsening or less improvement in pain, and starting or continuing nonopioid analgesics postsurgery were significantly associated with higher risk of postsurgery initiated opioid use.

CONCLUSION

After bariatric surgery, prevalence of prescribed opioid analgesic use initially decreased but then increased to surpass baseline prevalence, suggesting the need for alternative methods of pain management in this population.

Alcohol and other substance use after bariatric surgery: prospective evidence from a U.S. multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND

Empirical evidence suggests Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) increases risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, prospective assessment of substance use disorders (SUD) after bariatric surgery is limited.

OBJECTIVE

To report SUD-related outcomes after RYGB and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). To identify factors associated with incident SUD-related outcomes.

SETTING

10 U.S. hospitals METHODS: The Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery-2 is a prospective cohort study. Participants self-reported past-year AUD symptoms (determined by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), illicit drug use (cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants, phencyclidine, amphetamines, or marijuana), and SUD treatment (counseling or hospitalization for alcohol or drugs) presurgery and annually postsurgery for up to 7 years through January 2015.

RESULTS

Of 2348 participants who underwent RYGB or LAGB, 2003 completed baseline and follow-up assessments (79.2% women, baseline median age: 47 years, median body mass index 45.6). The year-5 cumulative incidence of postsurgery onset AUD symptoms, illicit drug use, and SUD treatment were 20.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 18.5-23.3), 7.5% (95% CI: 6.1-9.1), and 3.5% (95% CI: 2.6-4.8), respectively, post-RYGB, and 11.3% (95% CI: 8.5-14.9), 4.9% (95% CI: 3.1-7.6), and .9% (95% CI: .4-2.5) post-LAGB. Undergoing RYGB versus LAGB was associated with higher risk of incident AUD symptoms (adjusted hazard ratio or AHR = 2.08 [95% CI: 1.51-2.85]), illicit drug use (AHR = 1.76 [95% CI: 1.07-2.90]) and SUD treatment (AHR = 3.56 [95% CI: 1.26-10.07]).

CONCLUSIONS

Undergoing RYGB versus LAGB was associated with twice the risk of incident AUD symptoms. One-fifth of participants reported incident AUD symptoms within 5 years post-RYGB. AUD education, screening, evaluation, and treatment referral should be incorporated in pre- and postoperative care.

Pediatric Loss of Control Eating and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Concentrations

BACKGROUND

Loss of control (LOC) eating in youth is associated with excess body weight and adiposity. After adjusting for fat mass, youth with LOC eating have higher blood pressure and higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared to youth without LOC eating. Increased inflammation may account for this relationship, although few data have examined this hypothesis. Therefore, this study explored the association between LOC eating and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a marker of inflammation.

METHODS

We investigated hsCRP concentrations in relation to LOC eating in a convenience sample of 194 youth (age 14.3 ± 2.1 years; 63.9% female; BMI-z 1.64 ± 1.06). The presence of LOC eating in the past month was assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination interview. Serum hsCRP was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Adiposity was measured by air displacement plethysmography or dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. We compared hsCRP in those with and without LOC eating in analyses accounting for sex, adiposity, height, depressive symptoms, and eating psychopathology.

RESULTS

Youth with LOC eating had significantly greater hsCRP than youth without LOC eating (p = 0.02), after accounting for all covariates. The number of LOC eating episodes in the past month was positively associated with hsCRP (p = 0.01). The relationship between LOC eating and hsCRP was not mediated by depressive symptoms or eating psychopathology (ps > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Youth with disinhibited eating may manifest increased chronic inflammation. Those with LOC eating may be an important subgroup at risk for adverse health outcomes associated with both chronic inflammation and obesity. Future research should examine whether hsCRP concentrations mediate the relationship between LOC eating and its association with cardiometabolic risk.

Internalization of appearance ideals mediates the relationship between appearance-related pressures from peers and emotional eating among adolescent boys and girls

Appearance-related pressures have been associated with binge eating in previous studies. Yet, it is unclear if these pressures are associated with emotional eating or if specific sources of pressure are differentially associated with emotional eating. We studied the associations between multiple sources of appearance-related pressures, including pressure to be thin and pressure to increase muscularity, and emotional eating in 300 adolescents (M_age=15.3, SD=1.4, 60% female). Controlling for age, race, puberty, body mass index (BMI) z-score, and sex, both pressure to be thin and pressure to be more muscular from same-sex peers were positively associated with emotional eating in response to feeling angry/frustrated and unsettled (ps<0.05). Pressure from same-sex peers to be more muscular also was associated with eating when depressed (p<0.05), and muscularity pressure from opposite-sex peers related to eating in response to anger/frustration (p<0.05). All associations were fully mediated by internalization of appearance ideals according to Western cultural standards (ps<0.001). Associations of pressures from mothers and fathers with emotional eating were non-significant. Results considering sex as a moderator of the associations between appearance-related pressures and emotional eating were non-significant. Findings illustrate that both pressure to be thin and muscular from peers are related to more frequent emotional eating among both boys and girls, and these associations are explained through internalization of appearance-related ideals.

A longitudinal study of serum insulin and insulin resistance as predictors of weight and body fat gain in African American and Caucasian children

BACKGROUND

The influence of insulin and insulin resistance (IR) on children's weight and fat gain is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate insulin and IR as predictors of weight and body fat gain in children at high risk for adult obesity. We hypothesized that baseline IR would be positively associated with follow-up body mass index (BMI) and fat mass.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Two hundred and forty-nine healthy African American and Caucasian children aged 6-12 years at high risk for adult obesity because of early-onset childhood overweight and/or parental overweight were followed for up to 15 years with repeated BMI and fat mass measurements. We examined baseline serum insulin and homeostasis model of assessment-IR (HOMA-IR) as predictors of follow-up BMI Z-score and fat mass by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in mixed model longitudinal analyses accounting for baseline body composition, pubertal stage, sociodemographic factors and follow-up interval.

RESULTS

At baseline, 39% were obese (BMI⩾95th percentile for age/sex). Data from 1335 annual visits were examined. Children were followed for an average of 7.2±4.3 years, with a maximum follow-up of 15 years. After accounting for covariates, neither baseline insulin nor HOMA-IR was significantly associated with follow-up BMI (Ps>0.26), BMIz score (Ps>0.22), fat mass (Ps>0.78) or fat mass percentage (Ps>0.71). In all models, baseline BMI (P<0.0001), body fat mass (P<0.0001) and percentage of fat (P<0.001) were strong positive predictors for change in BMI and fat mass. In models restricted to children without obesity at baseline, some but not all models had significant interaction terms between body adiposity and insulinemia/HOMA-IR that suggested less gain in mass among those with greater insulin or IR. The opposite was found in some models restricted to children with obesity at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

In middle childhood, BMI and fat mass, but not insulin or IR, are strong predictors of children's gains in BMI and fat mass during adolescence.

Eating pathology and experience and weight loss in a prospective study of bariatric surgery patients: 3-year follow-up

OBJECTIVE

Bariatric surgery results in significant long-term weight loss, albeit with considerable variability. This study examines the prognostic significance of eating pathology as determined by a structured interview, the Eating Disorder Examination-Bariatric Surgery Version (EDE-BSV).

METHOD

Participants (N = 183) in this substudy of the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS) Research Consortium were assessed using the EDE-BSV, independent of clinical care, presurgery and annually postsurgery. We examined eating pathology and experiences at several frequency thresholds (present, ≥ monthly, ≥ weekly) over 3 years, and utilized mixed models to test their associations with percentage weight loss from baseline at years 1, 2, and 3.

RESULTS

The prevalence of several forms of eating pathology declined pre- to 1-year postsurgery, including ≥weekly objective bulimic episodes (11.6-1.3%), loss of control (LOC) eating (18.3-6.2%) and picking/nibbling (36.0-20.2%) (P for all <0.01), and regular evening hyperphagia (16.5-5.0%, P = 0.01), but not cravings (P = 0.93). Mean EDE global score, and hunger and enjoyment scores, also declined (P for all <0.01). These metrics remained lower than baseline through year-3 (P for all <0.01). Presurgery eating variables were not related to weight loss (P for all ≥0.05). However, postsurgery higher EDE global score and greater hunger were independently associated with less weight loss postsurgery (P for both ≤0.01), while cravings were associated with greater weight loss (P = 0.03).

DISCUSSION

Pathological eating behaviors and experiences are common presurgery and improve markedly following surgery. Postsurgery pathological eating-related experiences and attitudes and hunger may contribute to suboptimal weight loss. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:1058-1067).

Cortisol response to an induction of negative affect among adolescents with and without loss of control eating

BACKGROUND

Adults with binge eating disorder may have an exaggerated or blunted cortisol response to stress. Yet, limited data exist among youth who report loss of control (LOC) eating, a developmental precursor to binge eating disorder.

METHODS

We studied cortisol reactivity among 178 healthy adolescents with and without LOC eating. Following a buffet lunch meal adolescents were randomly assigned to watch a neutral or sad film clip. After, they were offered snacks from a multi-item array to assess eating in the absence of hunger. Salivary cortisol was collected at -80, 0, 30 and 50 min relative to film administration, and state mood ratings were reported before and after the film.

RESULTS

Adolescents with LOC had greater increases in negative affect during the experimental paradigm in both conditions (ps > 0.05). Depressive symptoms, but not LOC, related to a greater cortisol response in the sad film condition (ps > 0.05). Depressive symptoms and state LOC were related to different aspects of eating behaviour, independent of film condition or cortisol response (ps > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A film clip that induced depressed state affect increased salivary cortisol only in adolescents with more elevated depressive symptoms. Adolescents with and without LOC were differentiated by greater increases in state depressed affect during laboratory test meals but had no difference in cortisol reactivity. Future studies are required to determine if adolescents with LOC manifest alterations in stress reactivity to alternative stress-inducing situations.

Emotion dysregulation and loss-of-control eating in children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE

To examine the associations among self-reported loss-of-control (LOC) eating, emotion dysregulation, body mass, and objective energy intake among youth. Emotion dysregulation may be 1 individual factor that promotes excess energy intake and increases in body mass among youth with LOC eating.

METHOD

Children and adolescents (N = 230; 8 to 17 years) enrolled in a nonintervention study completed a structured interview to determine the presence or absence of self-reported LOC eating. Children's emotion dysregulation was assessed via parent-report with the Child Behavior Checklist. Youth also completed 2 test meals to capture "binge" and "normal" eating. Body composition was examined using air displacement plethysmography.

RESULTS

After controlling for relevant covariates, youth with self-reported LOC eating had higher parent-reported emotion dysregulation than those without LOC. Parent-reported emotion dysregulation was also associated with greater observed energy intake (after accounting for body mass), as well as higher fat mass. Emotion dysregulation also moderated associations between LOC status/gender and body mass variables; among youth with self-reported LOC eating and girls, those with high parent-described emotion dysregulation (vs. low) had significantly higher fat mass and BMIz.

CONCLUSIONS

Data from the current study suggest that emotion dysregulation may play a role in energy intake and obesity, particularly among youth with self-reported LOC eating and girls. Additional studies are needed to identify the prospective mechanisms linking poor emotion regulation and LOC eating. These mechanisms, in turn, may inform future interventions targeting excess energy intake and obesity in pediatric samples. (PsycINFO Database Record

Change in Pain and Physical Function Following Bariatric Surgery for Severe Obesity

IMPORTANCE

The variability and durability of improvements in pain and physical function following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) are not well described.

OBJECTIVES

To report changes in pain and physical function in the first 3 years following bariatric surgery, and to identify factors associated with improvement.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

The Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery-2 is an observational cohort study at 10 US hospitals. Adults with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery were recruited between February 2005 and February 2009. Research assessments were conducted prior to surgery and annually thereafter. Three-year follow-up through October 2012 is reported.

EXPOSURES

Bariatric surgery as clinical care.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Primary outcomes were clinically meaningful presurgery to postsurgery improvements in pain and function using scores from the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) (ie, improvement of ≥5 points on the norm-based score [range, 0-100]) and 400-meter walk time (ie, improvement of ≥24 seconds) using established thresholds. The secondary outcome was clinically meaningful improvement using the Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (ie, improvement of ≥9.7 pain points and ≥9.3 function points on the transformed score [range, 0-100]).

RESULTS

Of 2458 participants, 2221 completed baseline and follow-up assessments (1743 [78.5%] were women; median age was 47 years; median body mass index [BMI] was 45.9; 70.4% underwent RYGB; 25.0% underwent LAGB). At year 1, clinically meaningful improvements were shown in 57.6% (95% CI, 55.3%-59.9%) of participants for bodily pain, 76.5% (95% CI, 74.6%-78.5%) for physical function, and 59.5% (95% CI, 56.4%-62.7%) for walk time. Additionally, among participants with severe knee or disability (633), or hip pain or disability (500) at baseline, approximately three-fourths experienced joint-specific improvements in knee pain (77.1% [95% CI, 73.5%-80.7%]) and in hip function (79.2% [95% CI, 75.3%-83.1%]). Between year 1 and year 3, rates of improvement significantly decreased to 48.6% (95% CI, 46.0%-51.1%) for bodily pain and to 70.2% (95% CI, 67.8%-72.5%) for physical function, but improvement rates for walk time, knee and hip pain, and knee and hip function did not (P for all ≥.05). Younger age, male sex, higher income, lower BMI, and fewer depressive symptoms presurgery; no diabetes and no venous edema with ulcerations postsurgery (either no history or remission); and presurgery-to-postsurgery reductions in weight and depressive symptoms were associated with presurgery-to-postsurgery improvements in multiple outcomes at years 1, 2, and 3.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among a cohort of participants with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery, a large percentage experienced improvement, compared with baseline, in pain, physical function, and walk time over 3 years, but the percentage with improvement in pain and physical function decreased between year 1 and year 3.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00465829.

Metabolic characteristics of youth with loss of control eating

PURPOSE

Preliminary data in adults suggest that binge eating is associated with greater prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. However, there are limited data in youth, and little is known of the role of binge episode size in these relationships.

METHODS

We examined the relationship between loss of control eating and metabolic characteristics in a convenience sample of 329 treatment-seeking and non-treatment-seeking adolescent boys and girls. The sample was enriched by design with adolescents who were overweight or obese and with individuals who reported episodes of loss of control over their eating (either objectively large binge episodes, OBEs or subjectively large binge episodes, SBEs, in the past month), as assessed by clinical interview. MetS components (blood pressure, lipids, glucose, and waist circumference) were the primary variables of interest.

RESULTS

46% of the cohort reported loss of control eating; among those, 53% reported SBEs only and 47% reported OBEs. Youth with loss of control eating had higher systolic blood pressure (p=.001) and higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (p=.002) compared to those without loss of control eating, in analyses adjusted for intervention-seeking status, fat mass and sociodemographic characteristics. Youth reporting OBEs had higher LDL-c (p=.013) compared to those reporting only SBEs.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents reporting loss of control episodes had greater dysfunction in some components of the MetS compared to youth without loss of control; episode size may contribute to metabolic dysfunction.

A preliminary examination of Loss of Control Eating Disorder (LOC-ED) in middle childhood

Loss of Control Eating Disorder (LOC-ED) has been proposed as a diagnostic category for children 6-12years with binge-type eating. However, characteristics of youth with LOC-ED have not been examined. We tested the hypothesis that the proposed criteria for LOC-ED would identify children with greater adiposity, more disordered eating attitudes, and greater mood disturbance than those without LOC-ED. Participants were 251 youth (10.29years±1.54, 53.8% female, 57.8% White, 35.5% Black, 2.0% Asian, 4.8% Hispanic, 53.0% overweight). Youth were interviewed regarding eating attitudes and behaviors, completed questionnaires to assess general psychopathology, and underwent measurements of body fat mass. Using previously proposed criteria for LOC-ED, children were classified as LOC-ED (n=19), LOC in the absence of the full disorder (subLOC, n=33), and youth not reporting LOC (noLOC, n=199). LOC-ED youth had higher BMIz (p=0.001) and adiposity (p=0.003) and reported greater disordered eating concerns (p<0.001) compared to noLOC youth. Compared to subLOC youth, LOC-ED youth had non-significantly higher BMIz (p=0.11), and significantly higher adiposity (p=0.04) and disordered eating attitudes (p=0.02). SubLOC youth had greater disordered eating concerns (p<0.001) and BMIz (p=0.03) but did not differ in adiposity (p=0.33) compared to noLOC youth. These preliminary data suggest that LOC-ED youth are elevated on disordered eating cognitions and anthropometric measures compared to youth without LOC-ED. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine if those with LOC-ED are at particularly increased risk for progression of disordered eating and excess weight gain.

A prospective study of adolescent eating in the absence of hunger and body mass and fat mass outcomes

OBJECTIVE

Eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) refers to the consumption of palatable foods in a sated state. It has been proposed that EAH promotes excess weight gain in youth; yet there are limited prospective data to support this hypothesis. We examined whether EAH at baseline predicted increases in body mass (BMI and BMIz) and fat mass (kg) 1 year later among adolescent boys and girls.

METHODS

EAH was assessed as adolescents' consumption of palatable snack foods following eating to satiety from an ad libitum lunch buffet. Parents also completed a questionnaire about their children's EAH. Body composition was assessed using air displacement plethysmography.

RESULTS

Of 196 adolescents assessed for EAH at baseline, 163 (83%) were re-evaluated 1 year later. Accounting for covariates, which included respective baseline values for each dependent variable, race, height, age, sex, and pubertal stage, there were no significant associations between baseline observed or parent-reported EAH and change in adolescent BMI, BMIz, or fat mass. Results did not differ by sex, child weight status, or maternal weight status.

CONCLUSIONS

No evidence was found to support the hypothesis that EAH is a unique endophenotype for adolescent weight or fat gain.

Prevention of obesity in infancy and early childhood: a National Institutes of Health workshop

Addressing the childhood obesity epidemic continues to be a challenge. Given that once obesity develops it is likely to persist, there has been an increasing focus on prevention at earlier stages of the life course. Research to develop and implement effective prevention and intervention strategies in the first 2 years after birth has been limited. In fall 2013, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases convened a multidisciplinary workshop to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the prevention of infant and early childhood obesity and to identify research gaps and opportunities. The questions addressed included (1) "What is known regarding risk for excess weight gain in infancy and early childhood?" (2) "What is known regarding interventions that are promising or have been shown to be efficacious?" and (3) "What are the challenges and opportunities in implementing and evaluating behavioral interventions for parents and other caregivers and their young children?"

Long-term outcomes of bariatric surgery: a National Institutes of Health symposium

IMPORTANCE

The clinical evidence base demonstrating bariatric surgery's health benefits is much larger than it was when the National Institutes of Health last held a consensus panel in 1991. Still, it remains unclear whether ongoing studies will address critical questions about long-term complication rates and the sustainability of weight loss and comorbidity control.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize findings from a multidisciplinary workshop convened in May 2013 by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The workshop aimed to summarize the current state of knowledge of bariatric surgery, review research findings on the long-term outcomes of bariatric surgery, and establish priorities for future research directions.

EVIDENCE REVIEW

The evidence presented at the workshop was selected by the planning committee for both its quality and duration of follow-up. The data review emphasized randomized clinical trials and large observational studies with long-term follow-up, with or without a control group.

FINDINGS

Several small randomized clinical trials showed greater weight loss and type 2 diabetes mellitus remission compared with nonsurgical treatments within the first 2 years of follow-up after bariatric surgery. Large, long-term observational studies have shown durable (>5 years) weight loss, diabetes, and lipid improvements with bariatric surgery. Still unclear are predictors of outcomes, long-term complications, long-term survival, microvascular and macrovascular events, mental health outcomes, and costs. The studies needed to address these knowledge gaps would be expensive and logistically difficult to perform.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

High-quality evidence shows that bariatric surgical procedures result in greater weight loss than nonsurgical treatments and are more effective at inducing initial type 2 diabetes mellitus remission in obese patients. More information is needed about the long-term durability of comorbidity control and complications after bariatric procedures and this evidence will most likely come from carefully designed observational studies.

Puberty and the manifestations of loss of control eating in children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the manifestations of pediatric loss of control (LOC) eating at different stages of pubertal development.

METHOD

Participants were a nonclinical sample of 468 youth (8-17 years). Physical examination determined pubertal stage. LOC eating and disordered eating attitudes were assessed with the Eating Disorder Examination. In a randomized crossover design, a subset (n = 244) ate ad libitum from two test meals designed to capture normal and LOC eating.

RESULTS

There were no differences in the prevalence rates or frequency of reported LOC eating episodes across pubertal stages (ps ≥ 0.50). There were, however, puberty by LOC eating interactions in disordered eating attitudes and palatable food consumption (ps ≤ .05), even after adjusting for age and body composition. LOC eating was associated with elevated global disordered eating attitudes, weight concern, and shape concern in post-pubertal youth (ps ≤ .001), but not pre-pubertal youth (ps ≥ .49). In late-puberty, youth with LOC eating consumed less energy from protein (p < .001) and more from carbohydrate (p = .003) and snack-type foods (p = .02) than those without LOC eating, whereas endorsement of LOC eating in pre- or early-to-mid-puberty was not associated with differences in eating behavior (ps ≥ 0.20).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that puberty may be a critical risk period, when LOC eating behaviors in boys and girls may become accompanied by greater weight and shape concerns and more obesogenic food consumption patterns. Interventions for LOC eating during pre-puberty should be evaluated to determine if they are particularly beneficial for the prevention of exacerbated eating disorder psychopathology and adverse weight outcomes.

Impact of an intensive lifestyle intervention on use and cost of medical services among overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes: the action for health in diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relative impact of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) on use and costs of health care within the Look AHEAD trial.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 5,121 overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to an ILI that promoted weight loss or to a comparison condition of diabetes support and education (DSE). Use and costs of health-care services were recorded across an average of 10 years.

RESULTS

ILI led to reductions in annual hospitalizations (11%, P = 0.004), hospital days (15%, P = 0.01), and number of medications (6%, P < 0.001), resulting in cost savings for hospitalization (10%, P = 0.04) and medication (7%, P < 0.001). ILI produced a mean relative per-person 10-year cost savings of $5,280 (95% CI 3,385-7,175); however, these were not evident among individuals with a history of cardiovascular disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with DSE over 10 years, ILI participants had fewer hospitalizations, fewer medications, and lower health-care costs.

Impact of intensive lifestyle intervention on depression and health-related quality of life in type 2 diabetes: the Look AHEAD Trial

OBJECTIVE

We examined the effects of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI), compared with a diabetes support and education (DSE) control intervention, on long-term changes in depression symptoms, antidepressant medication (ADM) use, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in overweight/obese individuals with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Look AHEAD was a multisite randomized controlled trial of 5,145 overweight/obese participants assigned to ILI (designed to produce weight loss) or DSE and followed for a median of 9.6 years. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered at baseline, annually at years 1-4, and again at year 8. Mean BDI scores and incidence of BDI scores ≥10, indicative of likely mild or greater depression, were examined. Annually through year 10, participants reported their ADM use and completed the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire, which yields physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores.

RESULTS

ILI significantly reduced the incidence of mild or greater depression symptoms (BDI scores ≥10) compared with DSE (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.85; 95% CI 0.75-0.97; P = 0.0145). Although SF-36 PCS scores worsened over time in both groups, ILI participants reported better physical function than DSE throughout the first 8 years (all P values <0.01). There were no significant differences between treatment arms in the proportion of participants who used ADMs or in SF-36 MCS scores.

CONCLUSIONS

ILI for overweight/obese patients with type 2 diabetes may reduce the risk of developing clinically significant symptoms of depression and preserve physical HRQoL. These findings should be considered when evaluating the potential benefits of ILIs.

Depressive symptoms and observed eating in youth

Depressive symptoms in youth may be a risk factor for obesity, with altered eating behaviors as one possible mechanism. We tested whether depressive symptoms were associated with observed eating patterns expected to promote excessive weight gain in two separate samples. In Study 1, 228 non-treatment-seeking youth, ages 12-17y (15.3±1.4y; 54.7% female), self-reported depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory. Energy intake was measured as consumption from a 10,934-kcal buffet meal served at 11:00am after an overnight fast. In Study 2, 204 non-treatment-seeking youth, ages 8-17y (13.0±2.8y; 49.5% female), self-reported depressive symptoms using the Children's Depression Inventory. Energy intake was measured as consumption from a 9835-kcal buffet meal served at 2:30pm after a standard breakfast. In Study 1, controlling for body composition and other relevant covariates, depressive symptoms were positively related to total energy intake in girls and boys. In Study 2, adjusting for the same covariates, depressive symptoms among girls only were positively associated with total energy intake. Youth high in depressive symptoms and dietary restraint consumed the most energy from sweets. In both studies, the effects of depressive symptoms on intake were small. Nevertheless, depressive symptoms were associated with significantly greater consumption of total energy and energy from sweet snack foods, which, over time, could be anticipated to promote excess weight gain.

Long-term drug treatment for obesity: a systematic and clinical review

IMPORTANCE

Thirty-six percent of US adults are obese, and many cannot lose sufficient weight to improve health with lifestyle interventions alone.

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review of medications currently approved in the United States for obesity treatment in adults. We also discuss off-label use of medications studied for obesity and provide considerations for obesity medication use in clinical practice.

EVIDENCE REVIEW

A PubMed search from inception through September 2013 was performed to find meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and randomized, placebo-controlled trials for currently approved obesity medications lasting at least 1 year that had a primary or secondary outcome of body weight change, included at least 50 participants per group, reported at least 50% retention, and reported results on an intention-to-treat basis. Studies of medications approved for other purposes but tested for obesity treatment were also reviewed.

FINDINGS

Obesity medications approved for long-term use, when prescribed with lifestyle interventions, produce additional weight loss relative to placebo ranging from approximately 3% of initial weight for orlistat and lorcaserin to 9% for top-dose (15/92 mg) phentermine plus topiramate-extended release at 1 year. The proportion of patients achieving clinically meaningful (at least 5%) weight loss ranges from 37% to 47% for lorcaserin, 35% to 73% for orlistat, and 67% to 70% for top-dose phentermine plus topiramate-extended release. All 3 medications produce greater improvements in many cardiometabolic risk factors than placebo, but no obesity medication has been shown to reduce cardiovascular morbidity or mortality. Most prescriptions are for noradrenergic medications, despite their approval only for short-term use and limited data for their long-term safety and efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Medications approved for long-term obesity treatment, when used as an adjunct to lifestyle intervention, lead to greater mean weight loss and an increased likelihood of achieving clinically meaningful 1-year weight loss relative to placebo. By discontinuing medication in patients who do not respond with weight loss of at least 5%, clinicians can decrease their patients' exposure to the risks and costs of drug treatment when there is little prospect of long-term benefit.