Thiago Fraga Napoli

Introduction Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with dysbiosis in the gut microbiota (MB). Individually, each medication appears to partially correct this. However, there are no studies on the response of the MB to changes in A1c. Therefore, we investigated the MB’s response to intensive glycemic control. Research design and methods We studied two groups of patients with uncontrolled T2DM, one group with an A1c <9% (18 patients—G1) and another group with an A1c >9% (13 patients—G2), aiming for at least a 1% reduction in A1c. We collected A1c and fecal samples at baseline, 6, and 12 months. G1 achieved an average A1c reduction of 1.1%, while G2 a reduction of 3.13%. Results G1’s microbiota saw a decrease in Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG_003 and in Mollicutes order (both linked to metabolic syndrome and associated comorbidities). G2, despite having a more significant reduction in A1c, experienced an increase in the proinflammatory bacteria Megasphaera and Acidaminococcus , and only one beneficial genus, Phascolarctobacterium , increased, producer of butyrate. Conclusion Despite a notable A1c outcome, G2 could not restore its MB. This seeming resistance to change, leading to a persistent inflammation component found in G2, might be part of the “metabolic memory” in T2DM.

BACKGROUND: There is a debate over results obtained from type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) obese patients and non-DM2 patients, in reference to metabolic control and ponderal loss, after bariatric surgery. AIM: To evaluate weight loss and metabolic profile of obese patients with DM2 versus non-DM2 subjects, one and three years after bariatric surgery. METHODS: Data from 38 non-DM2 patients and 44 DM2 patients submitted to Roux-en-Y gastric-bypass were analysed retrospectively. For the pre-operatory, first and third year of post-operatory, were compared: weight, body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose (FG), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides (TG). RESULTS: Preoperatively, both groups were statistically equivalent in regards to weight, BMI (P = 0.90) and HDL (P = 0.73). This was not the case when TG (P = 0.043) and FG (P<0.01) were analyzed. In PO1, both DM2 and non-DM2 groups showed a reduction in weight, BMI and TG, just as FG in the DM2 group (P < 0.05). HDL increased (P < 0.05) in PO1 in both groups. In the following period, between PO1 and PO3, only TG continued to decrease in the non-DM2 group (P = 0.039), while the other variables did not change. In the DM2 group mean A1c in PO3 was 6.2% +- 0.75 (P = 0.027). It was compared both group's post-operative data. HDL's and TG's variation between groups did not differ in PO1 or between PO1 and PO3. Weight in PO1 and PO3, just as BMI in PO1 and PO3, were not significantly different either. CONCLUSION: In PO1, weight loss and metabolic improvement was seen in both groups. This was sustained in PO3, with no significant weight regain or lipid/FG change. A1c found suggests a reasonable control of DM2 surgery. A trend towards a less intense weight loss could be noticed in the DM2 group (P = 0.053).

OBJECTIVE: To validate the psychometric properties of the Eating Behavior Phenotypes Scale (EFCA) and to analyze the stability of the construct and its external validity in Brazilian Portuguese. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 206 adult participants completed a self-administered survey designed to identify eating behavior phenotypes. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed, and internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Concurrent validity was evaluated through Pearson's correlation between EFCA scores and body mass index. Translation involved independent forward translation from Argentinian Spanish to Brazilian Portuguese, followed by back-translation from Brazilian Portuguese to Spanish. The Brazilian Portuguese version was administered following 100% agreement between the versions. RESULTS: The EFCA and its subscales in Brazilian Portuguese showed acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.83). CONCLUSION: Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit of the data to the proposed structure. No statistically significant correlation was found between the body mass index and each subscale or the total scale score. The translation and back-translation process yielded less than a 5% discrepancy between the versions.

Background: Obesity is a heterogeneous chronic disease in which eating behavior phenotypes may influence treatment response. Yet, anti-obesity medication (AOM) selection is still largely guided by anthropometric and metabolic parameters, with limited use of behavioral phenotyping in routine practice. We evaluated whether multidimensional eating behavior changes, measured by the Brazilian Eating Behavior Phenotype Scale (Escala de Fenótipos do Comportamento Alimentar, EFCA), differ across commonly used AOMs in a real-world cohort. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational real-world study in obesity outpatient care settings in São Paulo, Brazil. Adults with obesity (18–65 years) treated with a single principal AOM for 6 months and paired baseline/6-month follow-up EFCA and anthropometric data were included. Analyses focused on early responders (≥5% total body weight loss at 3 months). Five AOM groups available in Brazil were analyzed: semaglutide (oral or subcutaneous), naltrexone/bupropion, sibutramine, topiramate, and tirzepatide. Outcomes included percent weight loss, EFCA total score, and five EFCA subscales (hedonic, emotional, compulsive, hyperphagic, disorganized). Within-medication behavioral changes were assessed using paired tests and standardized effect sizes (Cohen’s dz, 95% CI), summarized in heatmap form. Results: The analytical cohort comprised 66 early responders with paired EFCA assessments at baseline and 6 months. EFCA profiling revealed distinct behavioral response fingerprints across AOMs. Effect-size mapping showed predominantly large behavioral effects (many dz ≥0.8) in hedonic, emotional, hyperphagic, and compulsive domains. Strongest signals included emotional eating reductions with naltrexone/bupropion (dz 2.04), tirzepatide (dz 1.77), semaglutide (dz 1.52), and topiramate (dz 1.54); hedonic reductions with tirzepatide (dz 2.06), semaglutide (dz 1.55), and naltrexone/bupropion (dz 1.52); hyperphagic reductions with tirzepatide (dz 1.50) and semaglutide (dz 1.34); and compulsive reductions with topiramate (dz 1.41) and consistent effects across tirzepatide, semaglutide, and sibutramine (≈dz 0.95–0.96). Disorganized eating showed heterogeneous/attenuated responsiveness, from near-null with tirzepatide (dz 0.03) to large but imprecise effects in smaller groups (e.g., topiramate dz 1.24, wide CI). Conclusion: In this responder-enriched real-world cohort, AOMs showed distinct and reproducible EFCA behavioral signatures, supporting a clinically actionable phenotype-informed framework to prioritize, sequence, and monitor obesity pharmacotherapy beyond nonspecific weight reduction, while highlighting disorganization as a potential target for adjunctive behavioral strategies.