Insulin, Glucotrol, and drugs like Avandia and Actos are all effective treatments for diabetes, but they can produce weight gain. In contrast, an experimental drug called liraglutide seems to control sugar levels without this frustrating side effect, Dutch researchers report. As reported in the journal Diabetes Care, Dr. Arne Astrup, from The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Frederiksberg, and colleagues studied the effects of liraglutide in 33 patients with type 2 diabetes. The patients were randomly assigned to receive a daily infection of liraglutide or inactive “placebo” for 8 weeks. Compared with placebo, liraglutide improved blood sugar control without inducing weight gain. In fact, patients treated with the drug were slightly more likely to experience a drop in total body fat.
