Managing Overweight and Obesity in Adults to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death and disability worldwide. Obesity increases the risk for clinically identifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) as well as a host of other metabolic, sleep, and orthopedic disorders. Coordinated and systematic interventions are needed to manage obesity and reduce these risks. The Obesity 2 Expert Panel updated the previous guidelines and produced the “Guideline for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults.” The Panel used data from publications from years 1999 to 2011 to address five critical questions, provide evidence statements, and recommend creation of a treatment algorithm to guide decision making about clinical care. The current review discusses the evidence statements pertaining to CVD risk in the assessment and management of patients who are overweight and obese. We summarize the FDA-approved medications for the treatment of overweight and obesity and their impact on CVD risk and risk factors, as well as ongoing clinical trials which will further inform clinical practice.