Addressing the burden of obesity: Commentary to “Obesity management: An update on the available pharmacotherapy”

Obesity is a complex systemic condition with significant sexual dimorphism, increasing the risks of disorders such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, premature cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancers. A recent publication by Christaki et al. on the comprehensive overview of obesity management in Innovative Medicines and Omics highlights the multifactorial nature of obesity, as well as the importance of lifestyle changes, alongside pharmacological treatments and bariatric surgery. This commentary advocates for precision medicine strategies to effectively address the challenges posed by obesity. By highlighting the potential health and economic benefits of reducing obesity, we call for a holistic approach that integrates behavioral, medical, and policy interventions. We also identify research gaps, suggesting that future studies explore endocrine connections in obesity and assess endoscopic techniques targeting the duodenum as adjunct therapies in the context of tailored care.
- Chandrasekaran P, Weiskirchen R. The signaling pathways in obesity-related complications. J Cell Commun Signal. 2024;18(2):e12039. doi: 10.1002/ccs3.12039
- Lonardo A, Weiskirchen R. Liver and obesity: A narrative review. Explor Med. 2025;6:1001334. doi: 10.37349/emed.2025.1001334
- Lonardo A, Ballestri S, Marchesini G, Angulo P, Loria P. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A precursor of the metabolic syndrome. Dig Liver Dis. 2015;47(3):181-190. doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2014.09.020
- Ndumele CE, Rangaswami J, Chow SL, et al. Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health: A presidential advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2023;148(20):1606-1635. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001241
- Leith D, Lin YY, Brennan P. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and type 2 diabetes: A deadly synergy. touchREV Endocrinol. 2024;20(2):5-9. doi: 10.17925/EE.2024.20.2.2
- Kanwal F, Kramer JR, Li L, et al. Effect of metabolic traits on the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatology. 2020;71(3):808-819. doi: 10.1002/hep.31014
- Bilson J, Hydes TJ, McDonnell D, et al. Impact of metabolic syndrome traits on kidney disease risk in individuals with MASLD: A UK Biobank Study. Liver Int. 2025;45(4):e16159. doi: 10.1111/liv.16159
- Standl E, Schnell O. Increased risk of cancer-An integral component of the cardio-renal-metabolic disease cluster and its management. Cells. 2025;14(8):564. doi: 10.3390/cells14080564
- Zhang H, Zhou XD, Shapiro MD, et al. Global burden of metabolic diseases, 1990-2021. Metabolism. 2024;160:155999. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2024.155999
- Zhou XD, Chen QF, Yang W, et al. Burden of disease attributable to high body mass index: An analysis of data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. EClinicalMedicine 2024;76:102848. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102958
- Roomy MA, Hussain K, Behbehani HM, et al. Therapeutic advances in obesity management: An overview of the therapeutic interventions. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024;15:1364503. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1364503
- Weiskirchen R, Lonardo A. How “miracle” weight-loss semaglutide promises to change medicine but can we afford the expense? Br J Pharmacol. 2025;182(8):1651-1670. doi: 10.1111/bph.70003
- Chung Y, Paik B, Jeon D, Kim YJ. Obesity, kidney and metabolic bariatric surgery: A surgeon’s narrative review. Metab Target Organ Damage. 2024;4:38. doi: 10.20517/mtod.2023.51
- Basa ML, Cha DS, Mitchell DP, Chan DL. Metabolic bariatric surgery, alcohol misuse and liver cirrhosis: A narrative review. Metab Target Organ Damage. 2024;4:29. doi: 10.20517/mtod.2024.22
- Christaki E, Protopapa C, Siamidi A, Vlachou M. Obesity management: An update on the available pharmacotherapy. Innov Med Omics. 2025;2(2):1-19. doi: 10.36922/imo.8316
- Lonardo A, Weiskirchen R. From hypothalamic obesity to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: Physiology meets the clinics via metabolomics. Metabolites. 2024;14(8):408. doi: 10.3390/metabo14080408
- Di Vincenzo A, Crescenzi M, Granzotto M, Vettor R, Rossato M. Relationship between sex hormones, markers of adiposity and inflammation in male patients with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. Metab Target Organ Damage. 2023;3:12. doi: 10.20517/mtod.2023.13
- Lonardo A, Singal AK. Duodenal mucosa resurfacing: The endoscopic silver bullet against metabolic disorders? Metab Target Organ Damage. 2025;5:13. doi: 10.20517/mtod.2024.130
- Lonardo A, Mantovani A, Lugari S, Targher G. Epidemiology and pathophysiology of the association between NAFLD and metabolically healthy or metabolically unhealthy obesity. Ann Hepatol. 2020;19(4):359-366. doi: 10.1016/j.aohep.2020.03.001
- Lonardo A, Targher G. Not all fat is alike in MASLD. J Hepatol. 2025;82(5):e271-e272. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.12.025
- European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO). EASL-EASD-EASO Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). J Hepatol. 2024;81(3):492-542. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.04.031
- Lonardo A. Association of NAFLD/NASH, and MAFLD/ MASLD with chronic kidney disease: An updated narrative review. Metab Target Organ Damage. 2024;4:16. doi: 10.20517/mtod.2024.07