Various pathophysiological changes caused by obesity are closely associated with the high incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Modern medicine emphasizes prevention as the priority and advocates proactive intervention before disease onset. For metabolic diseases such as obesity, lifestyle intervention is the cornerstone, while drug research and development has long focused on weight control by suppressing food intake or increasing energy expenditure.
However, many drugs are difficult to widely use in long-term clinical practice due to adverse reactions and other issues. The emergence of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) has brought an epoch-making transformation to obesity treatment. Their mechanism of action involves multiple targets:they not only inhibit the feeding center and reduce appetite, but also improve insulin resistance;some agents can also promote fat burning and increase hepatic fat consumption, thereby alleviating ectopic fat deposition such as fatty liver disease.This multidimensional intervention model has significantly broken through the limitations of traditional weight-loss drugs.
In clinical application, GLP-1RAs not only show favorable weight control effects, but some agents have also been proven to confer cardiovascular benefits.For example, the SELECT study confirmed for the first time that semaglutide can improve cardiovascular outcomes, suggesting that its benefits derive not only from weight reduction but also from the overall regulation of multiple obesity-related risk factors.
For this reason, GLP-1RAs, initially used for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), have demonstrated both weight-loss effects and clear cardiovascular benefits in clinical practice, promoting the launch of GLP-1 agents dedicated to weight management.With continuous advancement in new drug development in this field, more effective tools are expected to be provided for the prevention and control of obesity and related health risks in the future.