ForME

Project description:

Obesity is a growing global health challenge that increases the risk of serious conditions such
as heart disease, diabetes, and lowers overall quality of life. Recently, medications like
semaglutide (marketed as Ozempic® and Wegovy®) have transformed obesity treatment by
helping many people safely achieve significant weight loss. However, the effectiveness of
these treatments varies widely—some individuals lose more than 20% of their body weight,
while others experience only modest or no benefits.
This study aims to explore one key factor that might explain these differences in treatment
response: insulin resistance. Insulin resistance happens when the body’s cells become less
responsive to insulin, a hormone essential for regulating blood sugar and fat metabolism. It is
especially common in people with obesity who carry excess fat around their abdomen (known
as visceral fat).
In our study, we focus on non-diabetic individuals living with obesity that will start treatment
with semaglutide to reduce their weight. We will measure their insulin resistance using a
highly accurate clinical test called the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp and we will monitor
changes in their weight over 16 weeks. But weight loss alone doesn’t tell the full story. We will
also assess changes in body composition, including fat and muscle mass, and investigate the
health and function of fat tissue through biopsies and blood tests. Healthy fat tissue is crucial
for metabolic balance and may influence how well a person responds to weight loss
treatment. By studying these factors, we hope to understand why some patients respond
better than others. This knowledge will enable doctors to tailor obesity treatments more
precisely to each person’s unique metabolic profile, leading to more effective and personalized
care, and ultimately reducing the health impact of obesity.

About Katja Leitner:

Dr. med. univ. Katja Leitner has been working as an Attending Physician at Kantonsspital Aarau since 2023. Dr. Leitner has gained her medical doctorate from the Medical University of Vienna (Autria) in 2018 and has worked as Resident Physician at various clinics in the Canton of Aargau. She has gained expertise in metabolic research techniques through training in Copenhagen and Zurich and has co-authored two articles in peer-reviewed medical journals. Dr. Leitner is currently enrolled in the PhD Program at the Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST) at ETH Zürich.