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Gut-hormone-based mewdication used to treat diabetes, such as GLP-1-receptor agonists, have also been show to reduce body weight. Researchers have ben working to understand how.

This study sheds light on how these medications alter the brain´s response to food, possibly reducing cravings and increasing satisfaction while eating. Previous studies have shown that the brains of obese people have a greater response to pictures of food than those of lean people, and a reduced reward response during the consumption of food, which may lead to overeting.

Reserachers in Amsterdam tested the hypothesis that the GLP1-analog exenatide (Byetta®) was helping patients with type 2 diabetes lose weight by altering the brain´s response to food consumption and decreasing appetite.

When you eat, there are several hormones released. GLP-1 is one of them, explained Liselotte van Bloemendaal, MD, at the Diabetes Center VU Univ Med Center in Amsterdam. These hormones relay information to the central nervous system about nutritional status to regulate appetite.

Using functional magnetic camera, measuring brain activity by detecting changein blood, they looked at the reward centers in the brains of obese individuals with and without T2DM and measured the response to the anticipation of and drinking of chocolate milk while being given GLP1- receptor agonist intravenously versus placebo.

They found that GLP1-receptor activation decreased anticipatory food reward, which reduced the cravings, and increased the feeling of food reward during consumtion which may reduce overeating.

The US Food and Drug Adm FDA recently approved the first GLP1-agonist for the treatment of obesity in US, liraglutide 3,0 mg per day, injection subcutaneously, price in US total cost 1 000 US dollar per month, launched here for private outpatient ward for patients with BMI over 35-40 or more. In Europé it is approved - but not yet in Sweden and nobody up to now from the company producing it knows if and when it it will be launched in Sweden, perhaps too high price and potential problems for reimbursements from TLV

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