BACKGROUND: Liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue, has been 
shown to possess pleiotropic effects including body weight reduction. However, 
long-term effect of liraglutide on body weight and glycemic control has not been 
elucidated in Japanese type 2 diabetes (T2D) subjects. Present study 
investigates whether liraglutide treatment maintains the body weight-decreasing 
and glucose-lowering effects for 2 years in Japanese T2D subjects.
METHODS: The enrolled subjects were 86 T2D patients [age; 59.8 ± 12.8 years, 
duration of diabetes; 15.8 ± 9.5 years, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c); 8.5 ± 1.5%, 
body mass index (BMI); 27.3 ± 5.4 kg/m(2) (15.8 - 46.5 kg/m(2)), mean ± SD]. 
Among 86 subjects, liraglutide was introduced in 25 inpatients and 61 
outpatients, and 46 subjects were followed for 2 years. Clinical parameters were 
measured at baseline and 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 months after liraglutide 
introduction. The increase in liraglutide dosage and the additional usage of 
glucose-lowering agents depended on each attending physician.
RESULTS: At 1 year after liraglutide introduction, 69 patients (80.2%) decreased 
body weight and 58 patients (67.4%) improved glycemic control. Body mass index 
(BMI) was changed 27.3 ± 5.4 kg/m(2) to 25.9 ± 4.8 kg/m(2) and percent reduction 
of body weight was significant and maintained over 4% at 2 years after 
liraglutide introduction. HbA1c was significantly decreased from 8.5 ± 1.5% to 
7.7 ± 1.2% for 2 years. Liraglutide treatment tended to ameliorate lipid profile 
and hepatic enzymes. Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that baseline BMI 
and previous insulin dose were positively associated with body weight reduction 
and baseline HbA1c was positively associated with reduction of HbA1c at 2 years 
after liraglutide introduction.
CONCLUSIONS: Long-term liraglutide treatment effectively maintained the 
reduction of body weight and the fair glycemic control, and also improved lipid 
profile and liver enzymes in Japanese T2D subjects.