Early Biomarkers Predicting Successful Weight Loss after Anti-obesity Intervention

ABSTRACT

Weight loss of as little as 5-10% can result in improvement in cardiovascular and metabolic risks associated with obesity. Despite use of any weight loss intervention, whether pharmacological or non-pharmacological, approximately 50% of obese patients achieve a modest weight loss of 5% of initial body weight. Thus, it might be useful to predict weight-loss effectiveness at the beginning of treatment for establishment of an individually tailored strategy to effectively treat obesity. This review provides an overview of emerging biomarkers as pre-treatment predictors of weight loss or weight regain after intentional weight reduction in obese patients. Results suggests that leptin, aspartate transaminase, and circadian rhythm play roles as pre-treatment predictors of weight-loss effectiveness; retinol-binding protein 4, total testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin as predictors of weight regain; and fasting glucose as a predictor of successful long-term weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.