Endobariatrics: A Primer

The synthesis and evaluation of thiolated alginate as the barrier to block nutrient absorption on small intestine for body-weight control

Obesity is the most common health concern all over the world. However, till now, there is no promising way to manage obesity or body-weight control. The aim of the study is to develop an edible gel as a health supplement that temporarily attaches to the mucus of the intestines, forming an absorption barrier to block the nutrients. We modify the alginate with the thiol group as thiolated alginate (TA) that may stay on the mucosa layer for a much longer time to reduce nutrient absorption. In this study, the TA is synthesized successfully and proved a good mucosal adhesion to serve as a barrier for nutrient absorption both in vitro and in vivo. The results of in vivo imaging system (IVIS) show that the synthesized TA can be exiled from the gastrointestinal tract within 24 h. The animal study shows that the TA by daily oral administration can effectively reduce body weight and fat deposition. The biosafety is evaluated in vitro at the cellular level, based on ISO-10993, and further checked by animal study. We do believe that the TA could have a greater potential to be developed into a safe health supplement to manage obesity and for body-weight control.

Effect of endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty on gastric emptying, motility and hormones: a comparative prospective study

OBJECTIVE

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) has gained global adoption but our understanding of its mechanism(s) of action and durability of efficacy is limited. We sought to determine changes in gastric emptying (GE), gastric motility (GM), hormones and eating behaviours after ESG.

DESIGN

A priori-designed single-centre substudy of a large US randomised clinical trial, adults with obesity were randomised to ESG or lifestyle interventions (LS) alone. We measured GE, hormones and weight loss and assessed eating behaviours. In a subset of ESG patients, we assessed GM. The primary outcome was the change in T1/2 (min) at 3 months, and secondary outcomes were changes in weight, GE, GM, hormones and eating behaviours. We used t-test analyses and regression to determine the association between GE and weight loss.

RESULTS

36 (ESG=18; LS=18) participated in this substudy. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. At 3 months, T1/2 was delayed in the ESG group (n=17) compared with the LS group (n=17) (152.3±47.3 vs 89.1±27.9; p<0.001). At 12 months, T1/2 remained delayed in the ESG group (n=16) vs control group (n=14) (137±37.4 vs 90.1±23.4; p<0.001). Greater delays in GE at 3 months were associated with greater weight loss. GM was preserved and fasting ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1 and polypeptide YY significantly increased 18 months after ESG.

CONCLUSION

ESG promotes weight loss through several key mechanistic pathways involving GE and hormones while preserving GM. These findings further support clinical adoption of this technique for the management of obesity.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03406975.

Endobariatric procedures for obesity: clinical indications and available options

Obesity remains a growing public health epidemic that has increased healthcare costs and related comorbidities. Current treatment guidelines encourage a multidisciplinary approach starting from patient selection, interventions, and long-term follow-up to maintain weight loss. However, these conservative interventions are largely ineffective at reducing body weight due to low adherence to the treatment regimen. Recently, endoscopic bariatric therapies have become an attractive alternative to traditional invasive bariatric surgeries due to their improved efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Endoscopic bariatric therapies include intragastric balloon placement, endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, gastric bypass revision, and aspiration therapy. These procedures fall into two separate categories depending on the primary mechanism involved: restrictive or malabsorptive. Restrictive methods, such as the Orbera® and ReShape™ intragastric balloons, increase satiation and delay gastric emptying while decreasing the amount of food that can be ingested. In contrast, malabsorptive devices, such as the EndoBarrier®, interfere with the small intestine's ability to absorb food while restoring normal gastrointestinal hormone levels regulating satiation. Together, these techniques provide useful alternatives for patients in whom pharmacological or lifestyle modifications have proven ineffective. Despite these advantages, the long-term effects of these procedures on metabolic changes remain to be studied. Furthermore, the management of complications from these procedures continues to evolve. In this review, we aim to elaborate on the clinical indications and efficacy of the endobariatric procedures, together with various types of available endoscopic bariatric therapy procedures.

Obesity management for the gastroenterologist

Obesity has reached epidemic levels in the United Kingdom. Obesity is associated with important gastrointestinal and hepatic complications which are common and can present sooner than cardiometabolic disease but often the underlying obesity remains untreated. Given that gastroenterologists and hepatologists will be at the forefront of obesity management we present an overview encompassing obesity pathophysiology, medical and surgical treatment options as well as the role of endobariatrics and the gut microbiome.

Effectiveness of Online Aftercare Programs Following Intragastric Balloon Placement for Obesity Is Similar to Traditional Follow-up: a Large Propensity Matched US Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

The combination of intragastric balloons (IGB) with comprehensive lifestyle and behavioral changes is critical for ongoing weight loss. Many community and rural practices do not have access to robust obesity resources, limiting the use of IGBs. Online aftercare programs were developed in response to this need, delivering lifestyle coaching to maximize effectiveness. How these programs compare to traditional follow-up is currently unknown.

METHODS

Using propensity scoring (PS) methods, two large prospective databases of patients undergoing IGB therapy were compared to estimate the difference in percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) between groups while identifying predictors of response.

RESULTS

Seven hundred fifty-eight unique patients across 78 different participating practices (online n = 437; clinical registry n = 321) was analyzed. The mean %TBWL at balloon removal was 11% ± 6.9 with an estimated treatment difference (ETD) between online and traditional follow-up of - 1.5% TBWL (95% CI - 3-0.4%; p = 0.125). Three months post-balloon removal, the combined %TBWL was 12.2% ± 8.3 with an ETD of only 1% TBWL (95%CI - 3-3%; p = 0.08). On multivariable linear regression, each incremental follow-up was associated with increased %TBWL (β = 0.6% p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Online IGB aftercare programs provide similar weight loss compared with traditional programs. Increased lifestyle coaching whether in person or remotely is associated with more %TBWL at removal and during follow-up. Close follow-up for clinical symptoms is still warranted.

Endoscopic gastroplasty to treat medically uncontrolled obesity needs more quality data: A systematic review

Endoscopic gastroplasty (EG) has been used in clinical practice to treat obesity. This systematic review has the objective of assessing if there is an acceptable level of scientific evidence on the safety and effectiveness of EG. A thorough search strategy was used up to October 2018, including the 2 most common techniques: endoscopic suturing and the primary obesity surgery endolumenal procedure. The quality of the studies was evaluated through the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools for use in Systematic Reviews-"Checklist for Case Series"-and summarized using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) approach. Only 1 randomized controlled trial (moderate GRADE evidence) was found, and the remaining were case reports or small case series (very low GRADE evidence). The literature has low scientific quality. All studies, with 1 exception, are small case series with short follow-up. One of the randomized controlled trials did not meet the primary endpoint for weight loss in both groups (EG × sham) after 1-year follow-up. The case series reported from 16% to 19% total weight loss, but few had more than 6 months of follow-up. Serious adverse events ranged from 2% to 10%. Based on current literature, there is not enough quality scientific evidence regarding long-term weight loss and the procedure's safety to recommend the use of EG in current clinical practice.