Semaglutide treatment of hypothalamic obesity – a real-life data study

Abstract

PurposePatients with tumors involving the hypothalamic region are at high risk of developing morbid obesity due to disturbances in the appetite regulative nuclei in hypothalamus. We evaluated the effect of the Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogue semaglutide in patients with hypothalamic obesity.MethodsWe recorded weight changes from real-time data before and after treatment with semaglutide in patients with hypothalamic obesity from our outpatient clinic at the Department of Endocrinology at Rigshospitalet, from September 2020 to November 2023.ResultsA total of 26 patients were included in this study (15 females, median age at initiation of semaglutide was 52 (range 18–65) years). Body mass index (BMI) at initial diagnosis was median 25 (range 20–38) kg/m2 while BMI at initiation of semaglutide was median 38 (range 28–58) kg/m2. All but one patient lost weight during semaglutide treatment with a mean weight loss of 13.4 kg (95% CI 10.3–16.5 kg, p = < 0.001) after 12 months corresponding to a loss in BMI of 4.4 kg/m2 (95% CI 3.4–5.4 kg/m2, p = < 0.001) with a median dosage of semaglutide of 1.6 (range 0.5–2.5) mg. Fifteen patients (58%) lost more than 10% and two patients (8%) lost more than 20% of initial body weight, respectively.ConclusionTreatment with semaglutide shows promising results in reducing body weight in patients with acquired hypothalamic obesity. Whether the weight reduction remains stable after long time follow-up needs further investigation.